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Say What? 5 Energy Efficiency Tips You’ve Never Heard

20140820_unheardtips_fbTurn off the lights when you leave a room.  Insulate your windows.  Switch to efficient light bulbs.  Many of these basic tips are old hat for savvy CUB members.

For those who are already energy efficiency experts, we wanted to share with you some unique money-saving tips that could help you lower your usage and power bills:

Plant a tree 

In addition to aesthetics and environmental benefits, a well-placed tree can add needed shade in the summer to reduce your cooling costs by $100-$250 annually.

Install an energy efficient shower head

Did you know that modern high-power showers can use as much water in five minutes as it takes to fill a whole bathtub? Luckily, energy-efficient shower heads on the market can drastically reduce the amount of water used—and your heating costs—while delivering the same amount of water pressure.

Cook efficiently

Many simple steps can reduce the amount of energy used while cooking the family meal. Turn off your stove burner a few minutes early when boiling foods, because the hot water will continue to cook the food (you can turn off your oven early, as well).  Use the correct burner—a small pan on a large burner wastes electricity.  Cut food into smaller pieces to reduce cooking time.

Clean those coils

To keep food cold, refrigerators use coils to transfer heat from inside to outside. But over time, those coils get covered in dust and dirt, making your refrigerator work harder to transfer heat.  Clean the coils once a year to improve efficiency.

Shut down the coffee maker

Your morning brew can actually be a huge money-waster in your home. Many people leave the warmer on to keep coffee hot throughout the morning—but this is a big waste of energy.  Instead, you should turn the coffee maker off as soon as the coffee is brewed, and pour the drink into an insulated thermos to keep it warm.  It’s a simple way to save up to $5 per month!

Have more unique tips?  Leave them in the comments below!

Need inspiration? Check out CUB Energy Saver, which is filled with great tips to help people cut their utility bills through efficiency. It’s been showing people how to save an average of about $100 a year.