Deck:
Our expert, Randall Whitehead, IALD, explains what really impacts home energy bills.
Question:
In the average U.S. home, lighting accounts for approximately what percentage of the electric bill?
It is not as big as you may think. It is around 28 percent, meaning that more than 70 percent comes from other sources.
The biggest power draw is air conditioning and heating. In the summer, try using a fan instead on those days that are close to tolerable. In the winter, use the fan to de-stratify the heat. Heat tends to rise and the fan will help push it down to where the people are shivering.
The refrigerator is also a big draw. A lot of people have a second fridge in the garage which is much older and rather energy-sucking. Get rid of it. There is no reason to spend all that money to keep a few extra six packs of beer cold. Now is a perfectly fine time to polish them off. What’s better than saving energy and getting a buzz at the same time?
