Take steps to reduce energy use during Energy Action MonthMaybe it’s oxymoronic, but “Less is more,” first written by Robert Browning, can’t be said enough. Less bought at the store or online means more room in the landfill. Less driving means more stability for the climate. During Energy Action Month remember the less energy used, the more there is to go around.

It’s important to develop renewable energy sources but the cheapest, easiest way to get more energy now is for all of us to do our best to use less of it. And that includes everything from turning off lights to making homes more energy efficient. Clean Energy Works in Oregon, which helps homeowners make their dwellings more energy efficient, states that 10 houses upgraded for energy efficiency means another three houses can be powered from the savings gained.

Wondering what you can do to conserve energy at home?

You’re in luck since October is Energy Action Month! Back in 2012 President Obama declared it so, proclaiming, “A secure energy future is vital to an economy built to last . . . As demand for energy increases worldwide, our Nation must continue to lead the world in a rapidly evolving energy market by pursuing safe and responsible domestic energy production, promoting efficiency, and developing clean energy and renewable fuels.”

Increasing the energy efficiency of the built environment is what Indow is all about. During the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Action Month, find suggestions for ways to make your life more energy efficient today, this month and this year.

A few things you can do right now:

  1. Turn down the temperature of your water to the warm setting (120°F) Review additional strategies to reduce your water heating bills. Water heating can account for 14-25% of the energy consumed in your home.
  2. Since heating can account for nearly half of the average family’s winter energy bill, call a furnace or heat pump professional to service it each year.
  3. Clean or replace filters in your furnace, air conditioner, and heat pump.

 

A few larger projects to tackle this year:

  1. Seal up the largest air leaks in your house
  2. Insulate
  3. Upgrade leaky windows. (Indow inserts are made to do just that so your home is more comfortable and energy efficient this winter. Learn more about what they can do for you!)