Did you charge your phone last night? How about your laptop? Did you make a morning pot of coffee, or watch the news over breakfast? Some of the energy used in all households is intentional. You expect to pay for the intentional stuff, but have you ever considered the energy you’re paying for unintentionally?

We put together a list of some simple energy saving habits you may want to consider working into your daily routine.

Photo Credit: Tristan Ferne

• Do you open your windows when it’s hot outside? Do you also sometimes run your air conditioner? If so, make sure you close your windows completely before you run the air conditioner. This way you’re not paying to cool down the squirrel’s residence outside your window.

• Do you use lamps and overhead lights during the day? To avoid using energy to light your home during daylight hours, make an effort to use natural light from the windows instead.

• When you finish using the toaster or brewing a fresh pot of coffee before work, do you always unplug all the appliances, even after they’re turned off? If not, you could be contributing to your home’s “phantom load”. This term is defined by all electronics that are plugged in while not actually turned on. To avoid this, consider making a habit of unplugging everything as soon as you finish using it, or invest in a power strip that you can turn off when the electronics are not in use.

• Still looking for more ways to save energy? Invest in high efficiency appliances, light bulbs, a high-efficiency motion censored programmable thermostat, thick storm windows, and high quality insulation to ensure that you keep all the cool air inside in the summer and all the warm air inside in the winter.

We hope you found these tips useful for your daily living! Do you have any suggestions to save energy? Please share with us in the comments below.