The modern age
Unless you’ve been living on an isolated island for the past several years, you’ve undoubtedly heard all about saving energy and conservation. The need for reduced energy consumption continues to be debated by a number of people on both sides of the political spectrum, but if they could only step out from behind their political belief system, they would realize that it doesn’t necessarily have to do with global warming or the environment.
While these two factors are certainly beneficiaries of conservation, the key for homeowners across the country is about saving money. When we practice saving energy, we save money. The current economy has put pressure on millions of people, including a large portion from our home state of Connecticut.
The idea of reduced energy consumption
In New England, the winters can be quite cold while our summers, though gorgeous, can bring with it long, hot, and humid spells that keep those air conditioning units working at full bore. When your home is not energy efficient, whether from poor insulation or a lack of proper air sealing, or an inefficient heater or air conditioning unit, it is the same as if you were to drop five and ten dollar bills into the fireplace to keep warm.
Saving energy should be the focus of every Connecticut resident and while many homeowners don’t truly understand their home and where they could improve their energy efficiency, nearly every home has plenty of room for improvement.
Energy audits
A professional energy auditor can come into your home and perform a thorough inspection, including running a number of tests, to determine where you could reduce energy consumption and save money. The cost to make the improvements that would be found can range from quite inexpensive to significant, but that number should be related to long-term benefits of saving energy and, more importantly, saving money.
Long-term savings from any number of improvements can add up to hundreds of dollars every year. While this is the direct and personal impact, there is a larger and, depending on whom you ask, a more important one and that has to do with the energy grid and fossil fuel consumption.
Affecting the grid
Most of our electricity is generated through the use of fossil fuels. Most of the fossil fuels that we receive here in Connecticut still comes from overseas and the supplies are limited, not to mention to volatility of the region of the world where most of the oil is produced. In order to keep our energy costs down, it is incumbent upon every citizen to minimize their usage and this begins and ends with conservation.
When you have your home audited for energy consumption, you will learn about the various methods and means that can be employed to reduce your energy consumption and help the community as a whole, as well as the environment, achieve a more independent position when it comes to energy sources.
Choosing energy sources
Another aspect to help reduce energy consumption from traditional fossil and nuclear fuels is to contact your local energy provider and inquire about purchasing renewable energy sources, such as wind or hydroelectric power. By choosing these alternative options, though they cost a bit more per month, you encourage the development and growth of renewable energy throughout the region.
Reduced energy consumption is important for everyone for a number of factors, but the greatest benefit on an individual level will continue to be the money that you can save on your monthly utility bills.
