As we close out 2019 and say hello to 2020, many of us are focused on creating game plans for our New Year resolutions. Energy became a big topic of awareness in 2019, from the price spikes in August to the overall education on how deregulation actually works. We believe in affordable electricity for all, which is why we’re rounding up a couple of money-saving resolutions for you to take action on in 2020.

• Switch out your home’s CFL bulbs for LEDs. While the upfront cost to purchase the bulbs may be intimidating, the long-term costs will outweigh it by much more. According to the Department of Energy, LEDs use at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting.

• Whether you do it yourself or hire a pro, it’s important to recognize the importance of having a well-insulated home. Making the necessary improvements and maintaining it can generate up to 20% in savings on heating and cooling costs alone. Keep in mind that this also includes air sealing, which can prevent drafts that make your AC run harder to keep the internal temperature where it should be.

• Replacing your appliances to ENERGY STAR appliances is understandably a big ticket item. Start little and work your way up throughout the year so it’s less overwhelming. Overall, you could see 10-30% less energy used.

• If you haven’t jumped on board yet, you’re missing out on the magic of smart thermostats. If you’re a person that’s constantly on the go, more often than not you may forget to manually turn the temperature up while you’re off at work. With a smart thermostat, you can go beyond programming and manually adjust via your phone. Not only that, but you get to see the big picture of your home’s energy usage and analyze what areas can be improved.

• 2 words: Wi-Fi. Plugs. Very similar to smart thermostats, you can control your electrical outlets from the convenience of your own phone. Did you leave the lamp on after you left to work? From an app, you can shut off the power for any electrical outlet that has a Wi-Fi plug. One of the best parts is that you can scare off the energy vampires by cutting off the energy supply for appliances that don’t need to be continuously running.

Don’t let these resolutions slip by in 2020. Not only will you take several steps toward a more energy-efficient home, but you’ll see long-term savings that your budget will thank you for. Take your savings even further by securing an affordable rate with Frontier Utilities today: http://bit.ly/SecureYourRateToday.