Tips to Save Money on Energy Bills this Winter

Tips to Save Money on Energy Bills this Winter

Winter has arrived, with it, the inevitable rise in electricity bills. However, there are various strategies to use less energy during the winter months, whether you are looking to save money or simply minimize your carbon footprint. This blog post will discuss several strategies you can implement to reduce energy costs this winter. So, without any further ado, let’s start:

Avoid heat loss

Insulating your house is one of the most important things you can do to save energy costs. Proper insulation keeps the heat within your home, reducing the energy needed to heat it. Because insulation keeps the heat inside, your home will remain warm during the winter.

Tips for Evaluating and Upgrading Home Insulation

  • Evaluate the insulation in the walls, floors, and attic.
  • Consider adding extra insulation if you find that it is insufficient.
  • If you are unsure about how well-insulated your house is, you might want an inspection performed by an expert.

Affordable Insulation Options

  • One of the most economical forms of insulation is blanket insulation. It can be customized to fit any location and is simple to install.
  • Foam insulation is also an affordable option. It can be used on walls, attics, and floors and is an excellent alternative for hard-to-insulate areas.

Saving On Heating Costs

Heating is the primary factor in winter energy bills. However, what if we say that there are numerous strategies for lowering heating expenses without compromising comfort? Let’s take a look at some tips:

Tips For Saving On Heating Costs

  • Reduce the temperature on your thermostat by a few degrees. You can save up to 3% on your heating expense for each degree your thermostat is lowered.
  • Space heaters should be used wisely. Put them in the areas of your home that you use the most. Choose the model that has temperature control to automatically maintain a desired temperature.  Make sure to turn them off when you leave.

Heating Systems That Are Energy Efficient

  • Upgrade to a more energy-efficient heating system, if possible. Using energy-efficient systems, you can reduce your heating costs by up to 30%.
  • In order to ensure that a system meets the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s energy efficiency standards, look for the Energy Star label.

Install Energy-Efficient Lighting

Lighting is another place where you could save money on energy. You can reduce your electricity bills by upgrading to energy-efficient lighting and contribute to a better environment.

Tips For Energy-Efficient Lighting

  • When using energy-efficient lighting, consider investing in LED lights. LED bulbs consume around 80% less energy and have a 25-fold longer lifespan than conventional incandescent bulbs.
  • Use natural light alternatives. Open the blinds or curtains during sunny days to let natural light into your home.

Energy-Efficient Lighting Options

  • Skylights are another medium to welcome natural light into your house. They can be installed in the ceiling or roof with a shade that can open or close to control the quantity of light that enters your home.
  • Safelumin LED bulbs are the perfect solution for anyone looking to upgrade their home lighting to be more energy efficient. These bulbs use up to 80% less electricity than regular bulbs, which means you will save more money on your electricity bill. They also offer an extended lifespan, so you don’t have to worry about replacing them more often. Plus, Safelumin LED bulbs have the added benefit of backup lighting in case of power outage. Safelumin is available in a variety of colors and brightness levels, so you can customize your lighting to suit your needs. Upgrade to Safelumin LED bulbs today and start saving money and energy!

Upgrade To Energy Efficient Appliances

Old appliances considerably raise your electricity bills. While new appliances are costly upfront, they will save money in the long run. However, making your appliances use less electricity could help you save on your electricity bill.

Tips For Reducing Appliance Electricity Usage

  • When not in use, unplug appliances to save energy usage. Many appliances carry on using electricity even after being switched off.
  • Use power strips to manage the energy used when using multiple devices at once.

Choosing Energy-Efficient Appliances

  • Look for appliances with the Energy Star certification. These appliances can reduce your energy costs by up to 30% and fulfill the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s energy efficiency guidelines.
  • Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances if possible. For example, upgrading to an energy-efficient fridge or washing machine can result in lifetime savings of thousands of dollars.

Conclusion

A few easy tweaks will help you reduce your winter energy bills. Adopting energy-efficient lighting and appliances, lower heating expenses, and proper insulation will significantly reduce your monthly bills. Following this advice could reduce your environmental impact and save money. However, it’s important to remember that even small changes can result in considerable savings over time, so don’t be afraid to implement any of these strategies in your own house.

You can also start by replacing your traditional lighting bulbs with Safelumin LED bulbs to bag massive savings in the long run. So, what are you still waiting for? Visit our website or call us now at +1 262-885-1200 to learn more about Safelumin LED bulbs and how you can upgrade your home lighting today!

6 Things You Should Never Do During a Power Outage

6 Things You Should Never Do During a Power Outage

Power outages are frustrating, and even worse if they last for long. Mostly you’ll find articles online relating to what you ‘should’ do in such cases like turning on your emergency light. But what you shouldn’t do is equally important.

Take a look at these six things which you should never do during a power outage!

1. Do not let your phone get discharged.

During a power outage, you cannot watch TV and hardly have enough light to read a book. So playing games on your mobile or iPad for hours might probably seem like the only option left. But this is exactly what you shouldn’t do! You need to put down your phone and save your battery to use at the time of emergencies.

If you cannot resist opening apps, then make sure that you buy a portable phone charger in case your lifeline dies out of battery.

2. Do not keep any electronics plugged in.

You should unplug electronics during power outages, as doing this can offer protection from electrical surge due to the power coming back. One more way to deal with the power surge issue is to install a surge protector in an electric panel, or plug sensitive electronics in a surge-protected power strip.

3. Do not keep every single thing unplugged.

All said and done, still you should keep at least a single lamp plugged in during a power outage so that you will know when the power is back. Or else, you can consider using an emergency light to keep you illuminated in the dark hours.

4. Do not open the fridge often.

Every time you open your fridge or freezer door, all the cold air gets out and it won’t be re-cooled until the power is back. If you leave your fridge unopened, you can hope to keep your food at a safe temperature for at least four hours. So try to resist opening it unless necessary.

5. Do not leave your freezer half empty.

Your food in full freezer will remain good for minimum 24 hours. Your ice and frozen food are similar to ice packs and they keep on insulating the entire freezer making sure that the unit does not have to waste energy. So keep your freezer stacked up with frozen foods and drinks to keep it cooler even during power outages!

6. Do not put your generator in your garage.

Hopefully, you are already aware that your generator gives away toxic carbon monoxide, so you need to keep it in the open air and away from your house. Even with the garage door open, your garage is still enclosed and close to your home; hence, avoid putting your generator there. Keep it at least 20 feet away from your home to avoid the fumes.

Now that you know what not to do during power outages, you are better prepared to deal with them! Also, one essential element of dealing with power outages is to have home emergency light ready at your disposal.

Frequent Power Outages? Don't Worry!

At Safelumin, we specialize in providing LED light bulbs that are designed specifically for power outages as well as for daily-use. No more fumbling in the dark for candles and flashlight.

What Happens to My Smart Home When the Power Goes Out?

What Happens to My Smart Home When the Power Goes Out?

More and more of us are installing smart systems and devices in our homes. These systems are often integrated and work together seamlessly 24/7. However, what happens when the power goes out? You may not have given much thought about your smart system’s performance under a power outage. Don’t worry too much, though, as many of your devices will still operate if the power goes out.

The Smart System

Many smart homes are controlled through smart hubs that connect your devices together into one system. These hubs serve to let you control smart items that use disparate types of running systems via one control source. Will your smart hub still be able to function if your home loses power? If the system has an alternative source of power, then the answer is yes.

Related: Gear Brain

Some hubs have alternate battery power sources, and some do not. For instance, the third generation SmartThings hub from Samsung does not possess a battery source. How will an out-of-commission smart hub affect your smart system? It mainly means a loss of convenience. The separate devices will still work, or not, according to their respective designs but will not work in tandem.

Battery Powered

Many smart devices have dual power sources. Smart objects with backup batteries will continue to run, while devices that run solely on electricity will not. The good news about smart device connectivity during a power outage is that common items such as smart thermostats, garage doors, and key locks usually have batteries and will remain operational. Smart security systems that are powered by phone lines will work during an electrical power outage, but ones that use the internet will not. And, of course, smart versions of items that will not work without electricity will still not work. Smart light bulbs, smart cooling systems and smart plugs will not function without electricity.

Related: Electronic Design

Manual Operation

Some smart items also have power alternatives other than batteries. Most garage doors can be operated manually by being released from their power source. When setting the garage doors to a manual release, always ensure the garage door is fully closed before releasing the door.

Smart keyless door locks actually have a key component that you can use to unlock the door when necessary. You can also add battery packs to your routers and security cameras to keep them running. For convenient lighting in your home during an outage, you can use LED light bulbs that have internal batteries.

In most areas, power outages from sources provided by municipalities are inevitable at some point in time. Whether you have a smart system in your home or not, odds are that most of your home devices are operated by electricity. If you do not have an emergency generator, then having devices with secondary battery power or manual alternatives is a good way of providing power during these circumstances.

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Safelumin – The lights on even the power go out. No tools, app, or remote is required, just use an existing light switch. Super simple to use, just like changing a regular LED light bulb.