5 Household Errors That Could Be Costing You Money

You turn out the lights when you leave the room and draw the shades to keep the house cool, but you could still be throwing away money in the commonly overlooked places.

1. Plugged-In Appliances.  You may have turned the television off, but it's still wasting energy as it sits idle.  All appliances with an AC to DC converter, such as printers, computers, and chargers, all burn energy even when not in use.  The same is true for appliances that can be powered on with a remote control, like stereos, and also devices with an LCD screen.  After all, such electronics have to always be ready for your remote's command to turn on.  While the amount of energy drained by idle electronics is far less than if the device were left on, the numbers do add up.  The best solution is to plug corresponding devices into a power strip with an on and off switch so that you can effectively "unplug" everything when it's not needed.
2. Dryer Lint Trap.  The recommendation to clean out the lint filter after every dryer load is sound.  A clean lint filter helps the dryer perform at its optimum efficiency, whereas a dirty lint filter can result in longer drying times, forcing you to dry your clothes longer than necessary.
3. Drafts.  Cold air leaking into rooms not only makes them uncomfortable, but also wastes energy, especially in the winter. You could be spending more on heating than you need to counteract the leak, which pushes cold air in and hot air out.  The most common place for drafts and heat escape is the attic, crawlspace underneath the house, and under doors, so make sure to check and maintain your insulation and caulk all visible cracks.
4. Water Leaks.  A dripping sink is obnoxious and wasteful.  It may not seem like you are loosing too much water, but one leaky faucet can waste up to 30 gallons of water every day.  This means in a span of only one week, you will have wasted about 210 gallons of water.  Replacing your leaky faucets, and even upgrading to a low-flow sink can save your household up to 20,000 gallons of water every year.  A broken toilet that flushes occasionally poses the same water waste problem.
5. Refrigerator Treatment.  You may be unnecessarily pushing you refrigerator to expand more energy than it should.  The refrigerator keeps its contents cool by removing heat, not blowing cold air.  That means that when you stick hot food into the icebox, it burns through more energy to remove the excess heat.  Simply let your leftovers cool to room temperature before putting them into the refrigerator to avoid overexerting it.

This post was contributed by Amber Hensley, who writes about the accredited online college.  She welcomes your feedback at AmberHensley1980@yahoo.com

0 Responses to "5 Household Errors That Could Be Costing You Money"