How much energy do you use? How does that compare to the average rate? A lot of the energy a home consumes ends up wasted. Many Florida homes are expensive to keep cool, so how do you know which will be kinder both to your wallet and the planet? What uses of energy at home can you cut back on reasonably?
The Average Electricity Bill
The average electricity bill for a home per year is $1,368.36. That’s a lot, and you can count on it being higher in Florida because of cooling needs. In fact, cooling and heating account for nearly half of a home’s energy consumption.
What’s Eating Up That Energy?
Cooling and heating come in at 47%. What other uses of energy at home have high demand? Your water heater accounts for 14% of consumption, your washer and dryer come in at 13%, and your lighting comes in at 12%. The rest is made up by your fridge, oven, TV, dishwasher, computers and phones, and various other less demanding appliances.
How Much Energy Is Wasted?
Thirty-five percent of energy in the home is wasted. That means the average homeowner is wasting close to $500 per year. Most people could really use that money, as a cushion, as an emergency fund, as savings or investments. That money should serve them, not simply be flushed down the drain.
Efficient and Modern Florida Homes
Modern Florida homes should be designed and built with energy-saving materials in mind – simple choices like effective insulation and glazed windows can do a lot to keep cool air inside and make your AC have to do less work.
Choose Energy-Efficient Appliances
The other part of this is increasing the efficiency of your appliances. As shown here, the handful of larger appliances are those most likely to demand big draws on your electricity. Energy-efficient cooling, lighting, washers, and dryers can save you big money over time. Part of the reason an appliance like a refrigerator doesn’t draw as heavily (only 4% of energy consumption on average) is because this was one of the appliances that was most thoroughly changed through the Energy Star program.
Modern Florida homes built with energy efficiency in mind work for you – saving you money on energy costs. Ask us how.
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