Increase your home’s energy efficiency without breaking the bank

Home energy can all too easily turn into a major drain, both environmentally and financially. To reduce your bill and lessen your personal effect on the environment, keep these tips from the Detroit Lakes Utilities Department in mind:

Unplug cords for items not currently in use, like cell phone and laptop chargers. The "bricks," or boxes on power cords, will draw in energy even when not plugged into gadgets, and devices like televisions take in power when switched off, meaning they should be unplugged, too, if not put to use often. Some appliances use up as much energy when turned off as when they're on, a fact many consumers aren't aware of.

Change your lightbulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs provide a simple way to save a few bucks. Their light quality has improved in recent years, but you may need to test out a few brands before finding one that suits you.

Measure your watt usage. Wattmeters are inexpensive, sometimes only $20, and help you realize how much electricity your appliances use. Buying or borrowing a wattmeter will pinpoint any plug-in appliances that are drawing excessive amounts of energy, allowing you to look into investing in a more efficient model.

Look for the "Energy Star" logo when shopping for home appliances. It signifies that the product has met the Environmental Protection Agency's and U.S. Department of Energy's standards, making them more energy-efficient than base models.

Seal your ducts, or have ductwork insulated. Energy seeps easily through cracks, which in turn finds its way into your electrical expenses.

Instead of turning down the thermostat, turn on a fan. Be sure to have fans on only when people are in the room, to be especially cost-effective.

Invest in an Energy Star programmable thermostat. These thermostats automatically change settings for day-to-night use, as well as weekday-to-weekend, allowing you to save on heating and cooling bills.

For rooms that see little use, but often have their lights left on, installing motion sensors can save energy by automatically shutting the lights off after a set length of time.

Be sure to have your furnace and air-conditioner cleaned each year before their season of use. Annual tune-ups can prevent issues like dirty filters from sucking up extra energy.

When replacing decorative lighting, consider purchasing LED light strings, which use up to 95 percent less electricity than C7 incandescent lights.

A few easy exchanges and adjustments can cut energy bills dramatically, while significantly lessening stress on resources and the environment, leaving no reason to fear flipping a switch.

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