| With energy prices on the rise, it is becoming | | | | outside energy source while adding an aesthetic |
| increasingly important to cut costs and save | | | | appeal. |
| money wherever possible. There exists a | | | | Water heating, on average, accounts for around |
| multitude of products and ideas designed to do | | | | 13% of utility bills. The quickest ways to reduce |
| just that. From reducing energy loss to increasing | | | | this cost include regulating how much hot water is |
| overall efficiency, there's room in any budget. | | | | used, adjusting the heater's temperature, and |
| One of the easiest ways to increase a home's | | | | thoroughly insulating the heater itself. For greater |
| energy efficiency is to change it's lighting. A | | | | savings over the long-term, it may make sense |
| compact fluorescent lamp, or CFL, uses between | | | | to install a more efficient heater. Solar water |
| one fifth and one third of the energy required to | | | | heaters save the most, as they get all of their |
| power an equivalent incandescent bulb. While a | | | | energy from the Sun. This is a great option in |
| CFL can cost 3 to 10 times more than a similar | | | | locations that receive sufficient sunlight. Tankless |
| incandescent bulb, they typically square the | | | | "demand" water heaters pass water through |
| difference in about one month. One article | | | | heated coils, providing hot water as it's needed |
| suggests that, a home spending $90 to change 30 | | | | rather than storing it. This effectively eliminates |
| fixtures can save between $440 and $1500 over | | | | the energy loss that occurs when stored hot |
| the lifetime of the CFLs (about 5 years.) For | | | | water cools down on it's own. However, they are |
| low-light applications, such as a reading lamp, LED | | | | not always able to keep up with the high demand |
| bulbs can offer even greater efficiency. Most | | | | of some homes. |
| current models, however, don't emit nearly as | | | | When you own a home, investing in energy |
| much light as their counterparts, and tend to be | | | | efficiency is tantamount to investing in your own |
| directional in nature. This makes them impractical | | | | peace of mind. In financially uncertain times, those |
| for everyday use. Where outdoor lighting is | | | | things of which one can be certain are more and |
| concerned, things like timers and motion detectors | | | | more important for you, your family, and your |
| save money by switching lights off that aren't in | | | | way of life. |
| use. Solar landscape lighting requires absolutely no | | | | |