Save Money. Stay Warm. Feel Good.
There are simple steps we can all take to reduce our energy costs and put a little extra green in our pockets. Not only will it help your bottom line – when you donate the money you save, you can help us fund essential programs and services that protect your neighbors in need from the cold.
Your energy bills shouldn’t exceed 5-10% of your income.* But many households, particularly those with low-incomes, can spend up to 33% of their income on energy bills.**
8 Tips for Saving Money on Energy
Follow these eight tips from the U.S. Department of Energy to start saving more:
- Lower your thermostat. For those with a home to heat, lowering your thermostat 7-10* for eight hours a day – while you’re away at work, for example – could reduce your energy bill by 10%.
- Use sunlight to your advantage. Choose window treatments that allow you to use natural light while reducing heat loss and gain.
- When upgrading appliances, choose Energy Star certified. Using these products could save nearly $900 over the lifetime of the product.
- Choose energy-saving lighting. Replacing just 15 traditional bulbs with energy-saving bulbs will save you $50 a year and more than $600 in energy costs over the life of the bulbs.
- Use a power strip for your electronic equipment. Help reduce phantom loads – and save up to $100 a year – by plugging electronic devices into a power strip and turning it off when not in use.
- Reduce energy for water heating. Take simple steps – like lowering your water heater’s temperature and installing low-flow showerheads – to reduce your water heating bills.
- Replace your heating and cooling air filters regularly. Doing so ensures that less energy is exerted to push air into the systems and your home.
- Check with your energy company to see if they offer a free or low-cost home energy audit. Many utility companies will perform an audit of your home - often even supplying new light bulbs, power strips, and showerheads in the process.
How Your Energy Savings Can Help Others
With 1 in 4 U.S. households struggling with a high energy burden***, utility costs can nudge a household that's otherwise financially on-track into a state of struggle, particularly during the coldest months of the year. And while many states have cold weather rules in place that prevent utilities from being shut off in homes during winter, the burden of unpaid bills tends to mean Spring shutoffs and an increased need for help with basic needs.
Your donation today will help us fund the essential programs and services that help families and individuals get back on track.
Sources: *Ramsey Solutions, https://www.everydollar.com/blog/budget-percentages, **The Home Energy Affordability Gap, April 2018, ***Nest Power Project, https://nestpowerproject.withgoogle.com/energy-matter