8 Home Energy-Saving Tips for Newly Remote Workers

Working from home can save you a lot of money. No more costly lunches or coffee breaks. Free transport from your bed to your desk … the list goes on. BUT. Energy bills are one area you might not have accounted for. Energy bills can be tough on your wallet, particularly at the moment. If you’ve worked from home for a while, you might already have implemented some of these tips. But for new remote workers, some of these energy-saving tips will seem like magic.

Here are our must-know tips to help save energy at home.

1. Use Energy-Efficient Appliances

If you are still stuck with old appliances, then the chances are you are paying more in bills than you need to. It might seem like people are labeling everything a ‘smart’ appliance these days. But trust us, you will want to make the intelligent decision to shift to efficient appliances which consume less energy. 

Energy-efficient appliances come with the ENERGY STAR label that shows they consume less power than conventional ones. They will save you money in the long run, and if you’ve just started working from home, now’s the best time to upgrade.

2. Swap your filters

This one’s simple and easy. HVAC units can consume up to 15% more electricity than they would otherwise with dirty filters. The reason is that once they are clogged, the dirty filters have to work more than they need, consequently taking up more energy. Not just that, they keep your air clean too. If you’re working and living at home, you want to be breathing clean air. So swap them out at least every 90 days and ideally once a month in the summer when your AC is on more often. This will keep your air clean and AC happy, avoiding costly breakdowns.

3. Install A Programmable Thermostat

Some days you don’t need much cooling or heating. The weather’s just right, so you can open the windows comfortably or relax outside. When you aren’t at home, the last thing you want is to accidentally leave your AC on. In these cases, a programmable thermostat will be a life-saver. A programmable thermostat will help you maintain an ideal temperature round the clock and learn your habits so that you aren’t paying for energy when you don’t need it. More and more people are switching to automatic thermostats, they can save you $180 a year! That’s about 

36 lattes! Check out more hacks to reduce your energy bills.

4. Seal Air Leaks

Air leaks impact the cooling and heating of the house. Being a remote worker and spending a lot of time at home, you need to fix your air leaks to ensure that your energy bills aren’t sky high when they shouldn’t be. We’ve got a complete guide to fixing these yourself as they can increase your energy bills by 30%, so it’s one of the best ways to help you reap energy-saving benefits.

5. Consume Electricity Mindfully

Being a remote worker, when you know that half of the time you will be working from home, you need to be extra considerate of how you consume energy. For instance, use a microwave instead of the stove to warm up food and drinks. Use a washing machine during the day when electricity is cheaper and switch on the dishwasher only when it is full. This will ensure you save extra electricity and your hard-earned cash.

6. Don’t wait till the last minute to do maintenance

If you’re serious about saving energy, you have to be proactive with your maintenance. Because air conditioning and heating units are prone to defects, they need constant looking after to maintain their good health. You will significantly reduce your energy bills when they are properly maintained. It can be tempting to ignore the maintenance aspect when it seems like a costly option, but regular maintenance will keep your monthly bills in check and avoid more expensive emergency repairs or replacements. Plus, they’re often essential to maintain your manufacturer’s warranty.

7. Install Energy-Efficient Windows

Standard windows can result in colossal heat loss when they are single-paned or even double-paned. Storm windows, which are excellent for reducing heat loss, will help you save more than 15% on energy bills. This will eventually cover the initial cost of installation and are an excellent investment if you think you will be working from home for a while.

8. Use Natural Light

And here comes the last one; use natural light to prevent your energy bills from spiking up unnecessarily. Reading something? Doing a house chore? Or simply need to wrap up office work? Open your curtains, and enjoy the natural light. Avoiding the need to switch on lights during the day. Just remember to keep your blinds closed during the hottest parts of the day. This will help you to reduce heat gain by 30% in the summer and save money on your cooling bill!

Intermountain Heating And Conditioning

Often heating and cooling units work inefficiently, leading to a spike in energy bills, and you only realize it when it’s too late. The electricity bills are in your hands.

Why wait for your system to suffer a costly breakdown? You can also call us for regular maintenance! Contact us now and save hundreds of dollars. At Intermountain Heating and Air Conditioning, we’ve been servicing families in Twin Falls since 1986. No wonder everyone says we are the best - we treat our clients like family.