Seeing an expensive energy bill is never fun. Especially if you believe you have an energy efficient home. No one likes paying a big bundle for their energy. And when you feel like you’re putting in the effort to lower your energy bills, but aren’t seeing results, it can be downright frustrating. If you think your home’s energy efficient, but the bills don’t seem to match up, that’s probably because your home isn’t actually very efficient at all. The good news is, there’s probably more you can do. As Christina Hoffman explains in an article for House Logic, if you make the right improvements and stick to energy efficient behavior, you’ll start seeing energy bills that match up with, and maybe even exceed your expectations.

A study done by the Shelton Group (a marketing and advertising agency specializing in energy-efficiency issues) shows that you aren’t alone in thinking your energy bills should be lower than they actually are. According to their research, about half of people think their homes are energy efficient and 89% think they’re using less energy than they did five years ago. Unfortunately, almost 60% say their energy bills have increased. There are a few main reasons for this disconnect.

Inflation is causing our bills to increase. Through 2040, energy bills are expected to rise two percent per year. Technology is constantly on the rise as well. That means we’re buying and using more gadgets and appliances than ever before. As a result, we have more things to plug in today than we had in the past. The whole ambiguity of your daily energy usage also makes it difficult to know how much your bill should actually be. Cliff Majersik, Executive Director for the Institute of Market Transformation, explains “energy is the only product we buy on a daily basis for which we have no idea how much we pay until a month later.”

Because energy costs and usage are going up, we have to make a more concerted effort to save on our energy bills than we may have had to do in the recent past. According to Hoffman, a couple changes here and there aren’t going to result in noticeable differences. If you’re truly committed to seeing smaller energy bills, you need to be truly committed to making your home energy efficient as well. Hoffman gives five fairly quick and painless projects that can help you save about 20% to 30% on your energy bill.

First, caulking and sealing air leaks can help you shave a great deal off your bill. Areas to focus on are plumbing lines, electricity wires, recessed lighting, windows, crawlspaces and attics. Next up, have an HVAC contractor check out your ductwork and reseal it/give it a tune-up. This could be where you see the biggest annual savings. Programming your thermostat is a simple, yet often unutilized energy saving tactic. In fact, according to the Shelton Group’s study, 40% of people conceded that they don’t program their thermostat to energy-saving settings. Replacing all your light bulbs with Energy Star-rated CFLs or LEDs is simple, yet can make a big difference. Finally, lower your water heater’s temperature. By reducing the temperature twenty degrees, you can see around an 8% drop on your annual water heating costs.

Hoffman urges you to do all of these things if you really want to see significant changes in your energy bill. By taking care of all of these tasks, you can expect to see somewhere between $440 and $660 disappear from your annual bill. Don’t just sit back and rest on your laurels once you’ve completed those tasks though. Be diligent! Little things like unplugging your devices once they’re done charging can help you reach your full savings.

To learn more about energy savings and the false assumptions we make about them, read Hoffman’s full article.

Looking to buy or sell a home, or just have questions about making it energy efficient? Always feel free to contact me at 713.829.3052 or cynthia@cynthiamullins.com.

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