{"id":3602,"date":"2016-05-19T13:41:07","date_gmt":"2016-05-19T17:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.juddbuilders.com\/creeksideblog\/?p=515"},"modified":"2017-10-04T15:18:31","modified_gmt":"2017-10-04T19:18:31","slug":"make-your-home-more-energy-efficient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.juddbuilders.com\/juddbuildersblog\/2016\/05\/19\/make-your-home-more-energy-efficient\/","title":{"rendered":"Make Your Home More Energy Efficient"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"iStock_000052837428_Small\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Simple ideas to help lower your energy bill this summer.<\/p>\n


\nSkip pre-rinsing dishes.<\/b>\u00a0It’s good to scrape food off before putting dishes in the dishwasher, but there’s no need to rinse them. You’ll save up to 6,500 gallons of water per year.<\/p>\n

Replace furnace air filters often.<\/b>\u00a0A dirty air filter can make your furnace work harder and use more energy. Replace the filter every two to three months.<\/p>\n

Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs).\u00a0<\/b>CFLs can last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and use 75% less energy. LED bulbs are mercury-free and may last three to five times as long as CFLs.<\/p>\n

Clean air ducts.<\/b>\u00a0Keep your air ducts clean to improve air flow and reduce stress on your furnace and central air conditioner.<\/p>\n

Upgrade your thermostat.<\/b>\u00a0A programmable thermostat can save you over $100 a year on your energy bill.<\/p>\n

Install low-flow toilets and showerheads.\u00a0<\/b>Toilets consume up to 40% of a home’s average water use. Using low-flow toilets can save more than 9,000 gallons of water a year. A low-flow showerhead only uses 1.5 gallons per minute while most conventional showerheads use 5 gallons per minute.<\/p>\n

Install ceiling fans.<\/b>\u00a0For summer use, ceiling fans can cool a room more efficiently than an air conditioner. For winter use, most ceiling fans have a reverse switch so that their blades force heated air down from the ceiling.<\/p>\n

Plant deciduous shade trees near the house.<\/b>\u00a0Leafy trees on the west and southwest sides of a house can keep your home cooler in the summer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Simple ideas to help lower your energy bill this summer. Skip pre-rinsing dishes.\u00a0It’s good to scrape food off before putting dishes in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,2],"tags":[49,74,53],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t