How can you save energy at home while lessening your footprint on Mother Earth? When we talk about energy efficiency, the focus is often about how saving energy will save you money. While it certainly will do that, there’s another benefit to energy efficiency that’s important to talk about: it also saves the environment.
Save energy at home = save the environment
How can saving energy be good for the environment? It has to do with the supply and demand for energy. It starts at the power plant where energy is created, often by burning fossil fuels. When you use less power at home, there’s less demand for energy from the power plant. This reduces power plant emissions and decreases demand for the natural resources that would otherwise be used to create this power.
As each home in the Valley becomes more energy-efficient, we collectively contribute to a more healthy and sustainable environment. And it doesn’t have to be difficult. Even a small change can have a big impact.
According to ENERGY STAR®, if every American home replaced their five most frequently used bulbs with LED bulbs, we would collectively save enough energy to light 33 million homes for a year. That’s nearly $5 billion per year in energy costs and equivalent to the emissions from nearly 6 million cars!
10 home energy-saving tips that also help the environment:
- Replace your old incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs.
- Find and destroy energy vampires with advanced power strips.
- Install a smart thermostat to track and optimize your energy use.
- Find and repair leaky ducts in your home.
- Install shade screens on your west-, south- and east-facing windows. Build your own, or have them professionally installed.
- Plant shade trees in your yard.
- Increase your pool’s energy-efficiency by installing a pool pump timer, keeping your filter and basket(s) clean and chemicals balanced.
- Weatherize your doors and windows.
- If you’re house hunting, consider an SRP ENERGY STAR Home.
While you’re doing your part to save energy and the environment, we’re working toward a cleaner energy mix. This includes reducing our coal generation and increasing our use of renewable energy. If you’re interested in learning more about SRP’s commitment to the environment, read our 2035 sustainability goals.