Tired of paying high electric bills? Here are 20 tips to help you slash your electric bill and keep that money in your pocket.
1. Stay aware of your power consumption by purchasing a Kill A Watt Electricity Usage Monitor.
This is a pretty neat little device. You can plug in your electronics and see exactly how much each electronic is using. It will even calculate the electrical expense by the day, week or year.
2. Change your light bulbs out for LED bulbs
Using LED bulbs has been proven to lower your electric bill. While other bulbs use up to 60W per a blub, LED lights with similar light levels only use around 10w.
3. Turn your AC up a little for Air and down a little for Heat
An AC unit can cost a lot to run. You would be surprised at how much money you can save just by setting your thermostat up or down a couple notches. I know this can be difficult especially during the hot summer months. If you spend most of the day away from home, that may be a good time to set the thermostat.
4. Hang clothes up to dry instead of running the dryer.
Running the dryer uses a lot of energy. Especially in the hot summer months. Try hanging your clothes up to dry. You can use these indoor clothes racks to dry your clothes. If nothing else, at least hang your blankets and sheets up to dry. And if you’re able, remember the sun will dry your clothes for free!
5. Unplug your electronics and cut down on the time you use them.
Always unplug your electronics. Even if your TV is off, or your computer is on standby, it is still consuming energy. This may not be a lot of energy but every little bit adds up! Especially if you have several TVs in your home. Of course, when your electronics are in use, they are using more energy. Try cutting back on how long and often you use certain electronics.
6. Take shorter showers
Did you know that hot water consumption can account for up to 25% of your energy bill? Yikes! How many people do you have in your household? Think about how much money you could save by limiting their shower time.
7. Purchase an indoor AC unit
This may cost a little upfront but could save you hundreds in the long run. Running an indoor AC unit will always be cheaper than running a full AC unit.
8. Use a crockpot for cooking in the summer months
Running the oven is not only more expensive than running a crock pot, it also gives off much more heat. The heat from your oven will heat up your home and cause your AC to run longer.
9. Purchase energy-saving curtains to block out the sun in the hot summer months
Do you have a lot of windows in your home? You can purchase blackout curtains to block out the sun in the summer months. Blocking out the sun will help keep your home cooler.
10. Make sure your windows and doors are sealed properly
If your AC is running all day and doesn’t seem to be cooling off your home very well, some of your air could be escaping through your windows and doors. Use these strips here to seal them off and keep heat and air in!
11. If you have a garage insulate your garage door.
I didn’t understand how much of an impact this could have until we insulated our garage door. The room above our garage would never get below 85 degrees in the summer months. That is with the AC running. I felt like the AC was working overtime. Once we insulated our garage doors, this room never gets above 75 degrees and the garage is much cooler!
12. Lower the temperature of your hot water heater and make sure its insulated properly
The recommended temperature for a hot water heater is 120 degrees. The default setting for most is 140 degrees. Check to see what yours is set at. Lowering it down to 120-130 could save you quite a bit of money in the long run. Also, make sure its insulated well. Having a well-insulated water heater can prevent heat loss by up to 45%.
13. Change your filters regularly
Changing out your filters regularly is very important. Dirty filters clog up the airflow and cause your AC to work harder. Changing them regularly is also better for your health.
14. Install ceiling fans
Ceiling fans help circulate the air in your home. Always make sure the fan is blowing air up in the summer months and down in the winter. You can do this just by using the little switch on your ceiling fan.
15. Turn off Heat Dry on your dishwasher
You can save energy by not heat drying your dishes. Just let them sit and dry. The hot water during the wash cycle is enough to sanitize your dishes.
16. Upgrade to Energy Star Appliances
If you’re in the market for new appliances make sure you purchase and Energy Star appliances. They are decided to use less energy than older models. You can also save more money by purchasing appliances second hand. You will be surprised at what others are selling just because they wanna upgrade.
17. Switch your outdoor lights to solar lights
Solar lights run off the energy from the sun. And the energy from the sun is free.
18. Set your fridge to around 38 degrees and your freezer to 5
This is a cold enough temperature to keep your food fresh and a low enough temperature to keep your fridge and freezer from working over time.
19. Use a Digital Programmable Timer for electronics you don’t use all the time
You can literally set a time for your electronics to come on and turn off. This is perfect for lamps, Christmas lights, fish tank lights, controlling lighting while you’re on vacation and even use them to control your garden lighting. If you work late, instead of leaving your lights on all day, you can set a time for a specific light to come on in your house, so it’s not dark when you arrive. So many other electronics that you could use this for as well.
20. Put your extra freezer in the basement or inside your home
Most people have an extra refrigerator. Did you know it can cost between $10-$20 a month to run an older model freezer or refrigerator? If you have it stored in your hot garage or shed, that can nearly double the price. Try storing it indoors or make sure your garage is insulated well.
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