Green Scene: Saving Energy, Saving Money

So, money is tight for everyone these days and being green sometimes cost a little extra. But, what if we told you that you could be green and save money? Well, you can! One of the easiest ways to save money is to cut your energy consumption. Sure, you’ve probably already changed all of your light bulbs to CFLs, but there are numerous other things you can do to save some pennies.

If you have extra money, you can hire someone to do a home energy audit, which is a survey of all the possible ways you are losing heat and energy in your home or apartment. But, you can conduct your own home energy audit.

Philadelphia is known for its beautiful old architecture which often comes complete with wooden windows and energy leaks galore. PECO has a variety of tools on its website as to how you can save money on energy, including a link to a DIY home energy audit. The U.S. Department of Energy also has information on its site about how to save energy and money, and they too have a DIY home energy audit.

Here are some of the basics to get you started. Buy a caulk gun if you don’t already own one and some caulk. Seal all cracks around windows and doors. You’d be surprised how much energy escapes this way. Also, stop the phantom energy! Phantom energy is all that energy used to power the clocks on things like your microwave or DVD player or your cell phone charger when it’s not in use. An easy way to zap all of that phantom energy is to buy power strips and click them all off when not in use.

If you are looking to save on home heating oil, consider joining The Energy Cooperative, which provides numerous “green” energy solutions and offers a group rate for oil. Current prices for home heating oil through the co-op are $2.055-$2.355 per gallon.

And something as simple as using a small lamp to provide reading light rather than an overhead light could save you some money. And saving every penny matters these days, especially when those cost-saving measures add up to saving dollars.

Image credit: Flickr user Helmers