A majority of Americans now believe that, as a country, we should be taking greater steps to reduce our overall energy consumption. While the government is still working on ways to increase the energy efficiency of the United States, there are plenty of steps a homeowner can take to ensure they are having a minimal impact on the environment. Homeowners who are aware of their own sustainability and work to increase it will notice that they will end up paying less in utility costs each month.

Here are a few ways you can live a greener life:

• Cut out bottled water: The plastic used for those bottles is harmful for the environment, so invest in your own personal filter and keep refilling it straight from the tap.
• Full loads when cleaning: If you are running your dishwasher or washing machine, make sure that it is filled to its maximum capacity before running a cycle. These appliances consume a large amount of energy, so you should space out the cleaning as much as possible and try to do as few loads as possible.
• LED bulbs: At the beginning of this year, it became illegal for light bulb manufacturers to produce traditional incandescent light bulbs. So, while stores might still have them in stock, you should not purchase them and instead opt for the energy efficient LED or CFL light bulbs. While they are more expensive upfront, you will save money in the long run because they consume much less energy and last for many years.

There are more extensive ways you can upgrade your home to make it more energy efficient. Schedule an energy audit with Alban Inspections today and our team can help you fix the areas where energy is being wasted.