Energy Savings Tips For The Fall

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average Coloradoan spends close to $2900 on energy per person. As temperatures persist and with winter around the corner, cutting energy costs is more important than ever.

Since 2009, GSA has worked diligently to improve environmental, energy, and economic performance of its federal buildings to achieve the goal of 30 percent energy reduction by October 2015. But the federal government is not the only one looking to save more on their utility bills - many homeowners are looking to do the same.

GSA has taken a number of steps at the Denver Federal Center campus to save and make better use of energy.  For example, the facility is on average generating 8 Megawatts of energy via its solar panels which is the equivalent of taking 1,800 cars off the road. With all of the construction projects, GSA has a lot of demolished building material. GSA is able to recycling some of that material and has saved approximately $1.5 million dollars.

There are many steps you can take at home to help put a little more money in your pocket.
Have an energy audit conducted on your home. This will tell you what improvements you can do to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
Assess and make repairs to any insulation or infiltration problems within the home. Sealing pipes and air vents throughout is another way to save money, and it is the first step for the following updates to be effective.

EPA recommends keeping the thermostat at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or lower when you are at home to ensure optimal home heating and lower your electric or gas bill.

When an appliance dies, replace it with an ENERGY STAR appliance. These appliances are rated to measure how efficiently an appliance works.
Replace all light bulbs in the home with high efficiency LED bulbs.
Use window insulator kits

For more ideas, go to energy.gov or download the energy savers guide by clicking here.