Simple Ways To Conserve Energy In Your Home

With the increased emphasis on global warming in recent years, combined with rising energy costs, more and more people are asking what they can do to make their homes more energy efficient. Energy conservation can be as simple as closing your curtains at night, changing a light bulb, turning down your thermostat, or closing the fireplace damper. Many of the most inexpensive solutions quickly pay for themselves in conservation, which you ultimately benefit from when you get your power bill.

One of the biggest ways you can conserve energy is to take advantage of “off-peak” hours. This is a step that everyone can take because it simply involves shifting your power use of major appliances, such as washing machines, dryers, and dishwashers. Puget Sound Energy recommends using these appliances outside of peak hours—peak hours are between 6am-10am and 5pm-9pm. Studies show that by shifting a portion of your energy use, consumers can significantly lower wholesale electricity prices, which saves everyone money in the long run.

Another way you can save energy is by washing your clothes in cold water and only running full loads. When using the dryer, toss in a couple of dry towels with your clothes to help speed up the drying process. It’s also important to clean the lint trap in your dryer after every load and make sure the dryer hose and vent are clear.

There are several steps you can follow to reduce your home’s demand on heating during the winter months. Conventional measures, such as setting back your thermostat, are effective at reducing energy consumption. It is recommended that you keep your thermostat set between 65 and 72 degrees during the winter months. Keep in mind that by simply lowering your thermostat one degree, your furnace will use seven percent less energy overall. It’s also important to clean your furnace filter frequently—doing so will enable your heating system to run more efficiently and cost-effectively.

It’s estimated that lighting accounts for 10 percent of your overall home energy bill, so another way you can conserve is by using energy-saving fluorescent light bulbs, known as CFL light bulbs. CFLs use approximately one-quarter of the energy of equivalent incandescent bulbs, they give off warm, indirect light, and they last ten times longer than average light bulbs. When shopping for CFLs, look for those with the Energy Star label on them—this ensures that you’re purchasing a product that has been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

For more information about energy conservation, please visit www.energystar.org.

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Just a Dash of Feng Shui

DecorativeFlowersWhat is a home if not personalized to those who share its walls? Feng Shui is intended to create a place of peace, balance and harmony for you and yours. You can achieve this type of atmosphere through the things you bring into your home and the way that you stage your environment.

Feng Shui helps enhance your space and deliver positive energy by creating a more comfortable, clutter-free environment, and incorporating the influential elements found in nature. A recent article titled Feng Shui Basics for Home Decorating provides what I consider the simplest definition:“the use and placement of objects and materials to create a harmonious flow of life energy. As such, the design of each room should be based on the people who use it the most.”

To better understand Feng Shui, it is important to know the elements in which it is grounded: Water, Earth, Fire, Metal and Wood. Incorporating these elements into your home can be surprisingly simple, inexpensive, and do-it-yourself.

Element by element, here are some ideas and explanations of Feng Shui for your home:

    • Water: The water element also includes wind. Blues and blacks represent this element, as does integrating a water source in a home, which gives off a presence of refreshing movement. Rock fountains and indoor aquarium tanks are common in Feng Shui-oriented homes.

Using mirrors in your home can be another way to incorporate the water element. The reflective surface of a mirror is similar to the properties given off by a pond or lake. A fashionable mirror can be arguably as attractive as a framed picture, and doubles as being resourceful when you would like to check out your look. Decorating with mirrors can be perfect for a living room space that needs light and enlargement, and a flow of movement.

The living room is typically one of the largest shared spaces of movement in a home, so incorporating a tasteful mirror in this room would be oh-so-appropriate.

    • Earth: “Adding the earth element to your home quarters strengthens feelings of safety and security. The grounding support of earth energy should bring comfort to the soul and tone things down” is how Happy Home Zone describes home decorating with the earth element.

A simple way to add the earth element to your home is by use of color, and earth tones are the most obvious source. But if tans, browns and oranges are not your thing, try a deep red, mossy green or an off shade of white.

You don’t need to paint every wall or replace your furniture. Start small with a cream throw or piece of artwork. Cream is a color that matches almost any other. Earth tones in beiges, brown, tans and off-whites are also aesthetically pleasing accent colors.

Due to the calming, soothing properties earth tones extract, your bedroom would be a perfect place in which to add this element.

    • Fire: Another element you may consider incorporating into your bedroom is fire, due to its association with passion, happiness and love. Keep in mind, however, that fire should be used lightly; in large amounts its passionate properties can give off anger vibes.

An article titled How to Decorate with Earth, Fire, Wind and Water suggests incorporating the fire element through the use of “silks and synthetic fabrics, images of sunrises, geometric abstracts, triangular shapes, animal patterns, the color red and candles”.

Candles are always in style, fit well in nearly any room, and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be inexpensive to buy or a fun Do-It-Yourself craft project. A candle display can work nicely in a bathroom and double as an air freshener.

    • Metal: According to Spiritual Feng Shui.com, “metal is a symbol of wealth and protection. Metals include stainless steel, aluminum, sterling silver, or iron.”

One of the most obvious places to incorporate metal would be in your kitchen. But metal has taken on a new trend outside of kitchen appliances; metal decorations can be used in any room you choose, and can be trendy and tasteful for both men and women. Check out these great precious metals and be inspired!

    • Wood: The wood element represents growth, and can be incorporated through almost any vegetation you choose to bring into your home. Indoor herb gardens or a potted houseplant can enhance your home aesthetically by being decorative and fragrant.

Growing your own edible vegetation can be a profitable experience, saving money on your grocery bill and adding flavor to your food. But if you lack the outdoor space to do it, read how indoor gardens can be accommodating. Indoor gardening is something your entire household can get involved in and enjoy.

Essentially, among other properties, Feng Shui is about balance – balance in your environment for you and for those with whom you who share your space. If Feng Shui is something you are interested in, start by adding a few of these elements into your décor and gradually increase them as you see fit, to find what balances your home best for YOU.

How do you achieve balance in your living space?Brittany Lockwood works in Marketing at Windermere Real Estate. She is the in-house expert on weatherizingyard-sales and interior design. She lives in Seattle in a renovated condo which she enjoys re-arranging and decorating.

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