Gadgets To Save Energy

The thought of conducting a home energy audit and renovating the entire house to run more energy efficiently may seem overwhelming. That's why many Americans are looking to save energy with energy conserving devices instead. Rather than change your ingrained habits, you can purchase add-ons for your existing appliances and fixtures that will help you save electricity and save money on your bills each month.

We're always being bombarded with sales pitches that say "Save 40% on your energy bills!" or "Cut your electric bill in half!" Consumers are frequently misled and confused by the various gizmos designed to save energy in the home. Consumer advocates warn homeowners to look out for products that don't live up to the hype. Watch out for transient voltage surge protectors, black box devices for appliances, power factor correction devices, insulated paints, power-filtering devices and other energy conserving devices that promise hard-to-believe guarantees. Yet despite all the frauds out there, a number of legitimate devices are being widely used for saving energy in the home.

The desire to save energy is common among Americans wishing to limit their expenses as much as possible. The easiest and cheapest way to save on energy bills is naturally to turn off and unplug appliances, electronics and lights when not in use. Another way to achieve better energy savings at home is to look into power conserving devices like LED and CFL lights, energy monitors, standby busters and solar battery chargers. Some devices are surprisingly affordable and yield immediate savings, while other bigger investments earn homeowners huge savings over the long run.

Since heating and cooling system expenses count for the largest portion of your overall home energy consumption, we'll first look at this realm of home energy saving devices. Programmable thermostats allow homeowners to set specific room temperatures for certain times of the day, without needing to manually adjust the dial. For instance, many people program their thermostats to turn down at night or while they're at work and not using the heat. They can also program the heat to automatically turn back up just before they come home at night. For the forgetful, there are also remote control heating systems that let you change the temperature even after you leave home. With a quick phone call, you can change the temperature of your home. Centralized heating and cooling also helps households with individual thermostats to maintain better consistency.

Another way to save energy is with water heating system devices. Reducing water consumption will also save on electricity. For instance, a low-flow showerhead can save up to 40% of your water consumption, thus taking the burden off your heating system. Similarly, a multi-setting showerhead (with pulse, spray, pause, turbo pulse, etc.) can save water. A water saving toilet lets homeowners save up to 25% of their water consumption. Energy experts say you'll see the energy savings from these devices after they pay for themselves within the first few months.

To save energy on electricity, you may want to invest in the popular "Kill-a-Watt" or "Watt's Up" energy monitor. These devices work by plugging into your wall socket and then plugging your favorite energy-guzzling appliances or electronics into the monitors to see exactly how much energy you're using. The displays can also tell you how much money your devices are costing you each month or each year. With a monitor like this, you can finally answer the perennial question of which is worse, leaving the TV or the computer on. You will then have proof to show your spouse which appliances need updating as well.

Recent attention has been called to a phenomenon called "vampire power." Many Americans are surprised to learn how much their electronics are costing them when they're not in use. For instance, two DVRs use up the same amount of electricity as the average refrigerator, says Mark M. Michalski of the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority. Additionally, if every home in American used one digital picture frame (left on day and night), we would need to build five new 250-megawatt power plants, says the Electric Power Institute. Idling computers, DVD players and TV sets account for 10% of a home's energy use. In the average American household, 75% of the electricity used for electronic devices is consumed when the devices are shut off, reports the U.S. Department of Energy, which translates to more than $100 per year spent on essentially nothing. You can save energy by unplugging all devices (chargers, cell phones, televisions, computers, appliances, etc) when you're done using them. You can also use saving devices like advanced power strips, which allows DVRs to stay on, while cutting off power to other devices that don't need to remain on. The Bye Bye Standby Energy Saving Kit (available at Amazon) lets users turn off selected machines that fall into standby mode with a basic remote control.

Solar battery chargers are great devices to save energy using off-grid power. For instance, the "solar egg" can reach over a 90% charge in just four hours of sun, which can be used to power up mobile phones, computers, digital cameras and other electronics. Not only can these save you money on your energy bills at home, but they can also be extremely helpful when you need power outdoors, far from electrical outlets, and they produce no pollutants to boot! The Voltaic Systems Solar Backpack is another amazing invention. One hour of sunlight will charge your phone long enough for you to make a few calls. However, a full 10-hour charge can provide up to 55 hours of stored energy! With several different adapters, you can easily plug in your MP3 player, computer, cell phone or other electronic device. Some of the more expensive $500 bags can even charge laptops, but you can find more basic versions for $75 to $250.

Energy saving light bulbs can help you save energy at home. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) are starting to dominate the market because they last for 12,000 hours (five times as long as old incandescent bulbs!) Experts say you can save $50 to $100 per year by switching to CFLs. While you can't use these bulbs with dimmer switches, you can still see energy savings by replacing many of your other bulbs. Another option is to try LED lights. These lights aren't as good for large areas, but they're ideal for outdoor use, for highlighting a smaller area or for Christmas lights. Most of these bulbs last 30,000 hours, making them extremely efficient and cost-saving, despite the higher initial price tag.

One last way of conserving energy in the home is to ask your electricity provider what your options are for saving energy in the home. Some independent green homes energy suppliers are offering discounted rates. Regular providers may allow consumers to sign up for programs using wind power or solar power. In fact, homeowners may be able to supply some power to their own homes by installing a small windmill or solar panels in their yards.