If you want to increase the energy efficiency of your home, it’s best to take a room-by-room approach to make it more manageable. The bathroom is a great place to start! It’s a place where you spend very little time, but yet use a ton of energy.

Make These Simple Switches

Shower & Sink

Changing to a high efficiency showerhead and sink faucet can cut the water you use in the bathroom by half! Newer models of high efficiency faucets and showerheads can provide the same feel of other models while using less energy. You won’t be able to tell the difference until you get your energy bill at the end of every month!

Lights

You know those bright lights above your sink? Check and see if you’re using energy efficient light bulbs. A lot of people use 4-5 light bulbs in their bathrooms to ensure brightness, but this can be a huge waste of energy. With energy efficient bulbs, you’ll use between 25-80% less energy, while still maintaining the desired level of light.

Stop These Bad Habits

Unplug

From hair dryers to electric razors, you probably use a lot of electrical items in the bathroom on a daily basis. Remember to unplug every device after you’re done using it in order to see energy savings on your next monthly bill. Even if the device is powered off, it’s still consuming small amounts of energy. The best way to conserve energy with these devices is to completely unplug them.

Turn it off

As you brush your teeth or wash your face, turn off the water when you don’t need it. If you leave the water running as you brush your teeth, you use between 4-5 gallons of water. Now, imagine doing that three times a day each time you brush your teeth. That’s 12-15 gallons a day that is mostly wasted just from leaving the faucet on! Be conscious of your energy usage by turning off the faucet when it’s not in use.

Jump in

Are you guilty of starting the shower in the morning, but then leaving the room to figure out what to wear or make breakfast? Older showerheads can use about 5 gallons of water per minute, while new, energy efficient models use about 2.5 gallons. Instead of leaving the room to attend to other parts of your morning routine, stick around in the bathroom and jump in when the water is hot to save up to $65 a year!

Tackle These Projects

Windows

Does your bathroom have windows? Although a small bathroom window provides a beautiful view to the outdoors, it can also allow air to enter and exit the room, making it harder for your home to heat or cool the area. To increase energy efficiency in the bathroom, consider investing in ENERGY STAR windows that can be installed without the help of a professional. Over time, the windows will pay for themselves thanks to the energy savings they create.

Toilet

Not surprisingly, toilets use more water each year than every other appliance in your home. If you live in an older home, chances are, you don’t have an energy efficient toilet and are wasting gallons of water every day. Invest in a new, efficient toilet and save around $50 a year!

All of these tips and tricks prove that you don’t need to completely renovate your home to start seeing energy savings. Start off small by changing your habits and watch as the energy savings pour in and your monthly bills plummet!