Doesn’t it seem like everything costs a lot more these days? Grocery and utility bills, home repairs, gas—you name it and it’s more expensive that it was just a few years ago.
As household expenses creep up and up, we’re all looking for ways to save a few dollars here and there. And while big ticket improvements like new windows or an upgraded HVAC will make the biggest impact, you don’t need to make a major investment to cut your energy bills. Chances are, your home has dozens of places where the energy you’re paying for is going to waste. We’ve rounded up simple fixes for three of them that will make your home work more efficiently so you stop wasting money on energy bills.
1. Your dryer is working harder than it should
Do your clothes take forever to dry? Don’t just assume it’s a problem with your dryer; it could simply be that the dryer vent that leads outside is jam-packed with lint.
To get your clothes dry, your dryer needs to push hot, moist air through the vent and outside. But when that vent gets clogged with lint, airflow is restricted and your clothes take longer to dry, which means the dryer runs longer and uses more energy. Get in the habit of cleaning the lint screen after every load and make it a point to clean the vent at least once a year. It’s an easy enough DIY project—just be sure to unplug the dryer before you disconnect the vent—or you can hire a professional to come in and clean it too.
2. Your HVAC is heating and cooling the outdoors
If heated or cooled air is escaping from your home, your HVAC system might be working harder than it needs to to make your home feel comfortable.
Think about all the different areas around your home where different building materials connect: around exterior doors and windows, attic hatches, openings for plumbing and electrical wiring, and light switches and outlets on exterior walls. Small gaps around these meeting points can let outside air in and conditioned air out. In the winter, that means your furnace has to work harder to keep the house warm and in the summer your air conditioner has to run longer to keep up with heat and humidity.
Sealing these gaps can save you up to 15% of your annual heating and cooling costs. Start by checking your doors and windows. Can you feel a draft? Is there visible space around the frame? Does the weatherstripping look cracked, flattened, or worn out? Sealing these gaps is a relatively simple fix. Use caulk to take care of smaller gaps around stationary areas and weatherstripping for larger gaps and areas that move. This guide will help you find the right weatherstripping product for your project.
Your attic is another good place to look for air leaks. An attic hatch that's not properly sealed and has gaps around areas where pipes and wires come into the attic can let a surprising amount of conditioned air escape.
Outlets and light switches on exterior walls are another spot where inside air escapes and outside air sneaks in. Adding Foam Outlet and Switch Sealers behind every outlet and switch cover will go a long way towards stopping air leaks. This video shows how easy they are to install:
3. Your water heater is wasting energy
Here's one energy-wasting area that might not be on your radar: the pipes carrying hot water through your house.
Every time you turn on the hot-water faucet, heated water has to travel from the water heater to the spigot. If those pipes aren't insulated, they can lose heat along the way, especially if they run through an unheated basement or crawl space. When that happens, you have to wait longer for hot water to reach the faucet—and while you're waiting, you're washing perfectly good water down the drain.
Insulating hot water pipes is a relatively inexpensive and easy DIY. Frost King’s Tubular Foam Pipe Insulation tubes are pre-slit so they slip over pipes quickly and easily. We even make pre-formed Self-Sealing Tees and Elbows that make it easier to insulate connection points, too.
Focus first on the pipes closest to the water heater and those that run through unheated areas. Watch this video for a step-by-step tutorial to installing pipe insulation:
While you're at it, check your water heater's temperature setting. For most homes, 120°F is the optimal temperature—it’s hot enough for everyday use without wasting unnecessary energy or creating a scald risk. If yours is set higher, dial the thermometer back. For more hot water heater maintenance tips, check out this article.
