2020 is behind us, and we are all looking forward to making this year better. The festivities are over, and now is high time we turn to more important matters, like saving energy!

Adopting energy efficient habits is so easy, you can start this minute. There are a lot of different ways you can reduce your household’s energy use, from making some easy, simple adjustments to extensive home improvements. Consider these life-changing energy efficient habits, from your Texas Electricity Company, NEC Co-op Energy to help you save money, time, and energy.

1. Let the sunshine in

Open your curtains and blinds on cooler days, especially before you leave the house, to let the sun warm up the inside of your home. It means less work for your heating system.

During hot days, close your curtains and blinds to keep the sunshine out. This way, your cooling system doesn’t have to battle the heat to keep your home cool.

2. Set it and forget it

Program your smart thermostat to avoid cooling or heating an empty house. A smart thermostat has the ability to adjust the temperature setting of your home automatically, based on a pre-set schedule. While it’s true that traditional thermostats can be manually adjusted, smart thermostats will eliminate this inconvenience by returning temperatures to normal before you return home or wake. You can trim your energy use by at least 10% each year if you set the thermostat at least 7 °F to 10 °F lower than its usual setting.

3. Take shorter showers

Needless to say, this can definitely help you save time and money. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating water is a huge energy user, and water heaters are responsible for about 17% of the home’s energy use. If you are really intent on saving, limit long, luxurious showers and make your shower a bit cooler. Bonus: a cool shower can help improve circulation and increase alertness.

4. Turn devices off

For frequently used devices, it’s best to use a power strip. Some older device models – like computers and TVs – are stealing small amounts of power while plugged in, even when they are turned off! They are also referred to as sneaky energy vampires. Plugging them into a power strip will enable you to simply switch off the power strip when they are not in use. This is a simple, non-invasive, and cost-effective solution to fight vampire energy load.

5. Go old school

The EPA reveals that the laundry room is one of the biggest energy-consuming rooms in American homes! For instance, the dryer is responsible for about 6 percent of residential electricity consumption – making it more energy-guzzling than your refrigerator! Hanging your clothes out to dry, even for one laundry load a week can make a huge difference in helping you save energy.

Energy savings go hand in hand with running an efficient household. Adopting simple energy efficient habits, like making the most out of smart home controls and using less hot water can be the start to a lifetime of energy efficiency living. Make this year a fruitful one by learning new ways to be more energy efficient, while at the same time, keeping more money into your pocket!