In 2026, energy conservation is important. Here are a few tips to lower your energy usage.
Heating & Cooling
Keeping a close eye on your thermostat is essential. By turning off your air conditioner or heat based on your schedule, it’s much more energy efficient.
Properly insulate your home. When a home isn’t properly insulated, heating or cooling seep out, and your home has to work more to properly keep your home at a stable temperature. Insulation has an upfront cost, but saves money in the long run.
Air Intake Vents need to be cleaned regularly. By vacuuming dust build up, it allows the vents to work at maximum efficiency, which helps to not use excess energy.
Water
If you are going to take a bath, maybe take a shower instead. Showers require less water to be warmed up, which lowers how much heated water is used.
Electric water heaters use a lot of energy and aren’t often the most efficient. By replacing a heat pump water heater that uses electricity to move heat rather than generate its own electricity makes the heater more efficient.
Electronics
Power strips are an excellent choice for households, as it provides a central “turn-off” point for when you are done using certain electronics. Power strips that also surge protectors are a smart decision, to prevent electric surges that inevitably happen. It’s a smart and safe decision for your home.
Screen savers for computers aren’t efficient. They can often prevent computers going to sleep at an accurate time, which can cause more energy to be used. Additionally, if it is a laptop screen protector, it can mess with the hinge of the computer, which will cost more in the long-run.
Laptops are more energy efficient than computers, as they only plug in to charge, rather than computers constantly being plugged in and using energy. Computers also require more accessories that need to be plugged in, including external speakers or computer towers.
A small step that is helpful for energy conservation is to unplug chargers or electronics when not in use. While it seems small, over time, by unplugging the chargers, it does build up over time.
Appliances
Cleaning your refrigerator coils helps to improve the efficiency of your fridge. When they are cleaned properly, it allows the appliance to be the most efficient, which helps to reduce excess energy usage.
Do the dollar bill test. Place a dollar bill half in and half out of the refrigerator and close the doors. If the bill moves with ease, you may have to replace the seal on the fridge or the latch. By making sure the fridge is working efficiently as possible, which saves money.
By covering pots, it helps to reduce the release of heat, which can speed up cooking entirely and minimize the amount of energy used. Over time, it saves more energy than it will not.
Washing your clothes in cold water saves a significant amount of energy. Most of the energy used is spent on heating up the water.
Using energy-efficient laundry detergent is helpful, and over-using detergent can strain the washing machine and cause unneeded energy to be used.
For dryers, cleaning lint traps and dryer ducts is essential. Not only is it a fire hazard, but when the lint is cleaned, it will take less time to dry the clothes, which saves energy.
Use a drying rack instead of the dryer! It also helps to protect the clothing, but it also uses no energy. When the weather is warm, it’s also a great idea to hang clothes outside in the sunshine.
When replacing appliances, purchase new appliances with Energy Star labels. The Energy Star labels are approved by the EPA, and use significantly less energy than appliances without the label. It’s a great idea for
Lighting
Dimmers and automated timers are a smart decision, as it allows you to control how bright or how long the lights are on. Dimmers are a great choice, as it extends the lifespan of the light bulbs, which saves money and energy.
Lamps are better than overhead lighting, in terms of energy. They are more easily unplugged, and often provide better lighting for evenings.
Interested in home renovation? Penn Construction & Design is here for you! Contact us today at (484) 452-5071, or stop by our showroom at 8 Campbell Avenue, Havertown, PA.
