Be Energy Efficient in 2021!

As we enter the new year and the colder months, it is the perfect time to start implementing sustainability resolutions. Ensure that your homes and businesses are operating as efficiently as possible–for the sake of the planet AND your utility bills! Here are a few high impact methods to save energy and, in most cases, money too: 

• Make sure that your heater is cleaned out and filters are replaced every year. If you also have A/C, make that twice a year! You’ll use less energy, have cleaner air, and give your equipment a longer lifespan.
• Upgrade your lighting! Install all LED bulbs. LEDs have come a long way in their lighting quality and price. The savings should be apparent in your energy bills and it’s worth making the switch right away, even if existing bulbs aren’t burned out yet. The operating cost of incandescent bulbs is on average five times higher than the operating costs of LEDs.
• Furthermore, It’s time to switch out non-LED T8s! Although T8s have been the preferred alternative to the less efficient T12s in the world of linear fluorescent lights (LFLs), it is important that we keep making progress and phase out of LFLs altogether. Fluorescent lighting contains mercury (harmful to the planet and ourselves), while LEDs do not. LED T8s are 30-50% more efficient than their fluorescent counterparts — making them well worth the investment. 
• Another way to kickstart your sustainability resolution is to learn more about your local options for 100% renewable energy. Follow the links below to learn more about the options from your provider. 
  • You local Community Choice Energy provider
  • Southern California Edison
  • PG&E 
• Make 2021 the year of electrification! Take the leap and install electric heat pumps for space heating, space cooling, and water heating. Check out Sierra Club’s analysis here to read about how this transition can help slow climate change while saving you money in the long run.

Again, even the smallest substitutions add up to help the Earth and your wallet!

What are your favorite ways to save energy?

Interested in technical assistance with your energy efficiency upgrades? Learn more about getting certified as a Green Business here.