Last updated on March 10th, 2024 at 03:34 pm

Here’s a sad fact: when many Americans move or change homes, they often expect a change in their energy bills. Most of the time, they expect that moving into a better home means their energy bills would decrease by an incredible margin. This is simply not the case.

In fact, many people’s high energy bills follow them from home to home, despite have energy star appliances and better insulation.

Why?

People don’t realize that their energy habits can account for as much as 50% of wasted energy. That means 50% of the “overage” on their energy bills is, well, their fault. It is the bad energy habit’s we’ve come to embrace that are hurting us just as much as the bad insulation in our walls.

So, how do we fix it? (Notice I said “we”. I’m just as guilty, despite being an energy efficient “expert”. I’m not perfect.)

By recognizing the problem and changing our energy habits.

First, and I know I’ve said this before, the best way to save on energy is to not use it. You simply can not be billed for something that you don’t use! When you leave a room, turn off the light. Limit your opening of fridge doors, take shorter hot showers, promptly remove clothes that are washed or dried so they don’t have to be put through another cycle, turn down the thermostat just a few degrees in the winter, or up a few degrees in the summer.

Most of the free tips on this site are simple and easy habit changes. They require just a little effort – but they are completely free. What this means is they reduce your energy usage at no cost.

The perfect time to start enacting this is…you guessed it…when you move. The reason is simple. Most people view a move, changing houses, as a fresh start. Why not get a fresh start on your energy bills and become more energy conscious? If you start a new house with good energy habits, they will carry through. And parents, if you demonstrate energy conservation to kids they will learn and follow in your footsteps.

Of course, a new home is also the perfect time to do an energy audit, but that is a topic for another time.