Do you almost get a heart attack every time you get your energy bill? Do you spend more money on electricity than on your beloved family? Well, it’s time to change a few things and lower those disastrous bills! Here’s how.
Pick the cheapest retailer
Not every energy retailer was created the same, so don’t hesitate to look around and pick the one with best prices! There are services that allow you to quickly and easily compare electricity, water and gas retailers in your area, so you don’t even have to look through complicated offers! You can also check whether your current provider has special offers during the day when utilities are cheaper than usual. If they do indeed have those discount hours, make sure to do your energy-hogging chores during those times of the day.
Choose the right appliances
Ever heard of Energy Star appliances? Well, household items with such a label use up much less electricity and water while they are operational, which translates as lower energy bills for you! There are energy-efficient fridges, dishwashers, washing machines, microwaves, ACs and many other smaller household gadgets. So, if your old appliances could use a retirement, make sure to opt for these new, energy-efficient models!
Be smart with heating and cooling
If you set your thermostat to 78° F or higher in the summer and 68° F or lower in the winter, you’ll get to save a lot of money and stay cozy in your home. Keeping your home just a degree colder in the summer and warmer in the winter can raise your bill up to 10%! Also, you can invest in a smart thermostat. This little home gadget learns your habits (when you’re at home or at work and when you’re sleeping), and it manages your thermostat accordingly and helps you keep your bills at a minimum. However, unless your HVAC filter is not working properly, your bills will never be low. Check your HVAC system manual and replace your filter according to the provided recommendations.
Switch to solar power
One of the best long-term solutions to save money on your energy bill is to become more energy independent from your expensive provider—and that’s more easily doable today than it ever was before! Solar panels got cheaper, more effective, aesthetically pleasing and fit for any home, so don’t hesitate to invest. When you combine your panels with quality SMA inverters, you’ll have a great system that can power your home and keep you almost completely energy independent! Homes with such a setup can even sell the excess solar energy to their local provider and earn some money!
Proper insulation is the key
Another way to save up some money on heating and cooling is to properly insulate and seal your home. And since heating and cooling accounts for almost a half of all energy costs, this it’s very important to keep your home toasty in the winter and cool in the summer! Pay special attention to your attic and roof during your insulation laying and check whether your doors and windows are properly sealed.
Air-dry your clothes
Just throwing your wet clothes into the dryer might be tempting, but if you do this daily, you’ll realize what luxury dryers actually are! Instead, take your clothes outside on a sunny day to air-dry. If you’re concerned about allergens sticking to your clothes, get a hanger and set your laundry for drying indoors. It might take your clothes a little longer to dry, but if you’re not in a hurry, air-drying is much more efficient.
Replace your traditional bulbs
Did you know that just by replacing your traditional bulbs with LEDs or CFLs, you can save more than $100 a year? Sure, these bulbs might cost more upfront, but they also have a 10 times longer lifespan and are much more durable than your incandescent ones. However, that still doesn’t mean you can leave your fluorescent lights on for as long you want to. Make sure to turn them off when you leave the room and consider installing motion sensors outdoors and dimmers inside.
You can save a pretty penny with only these seven tips. However, there are many more little habit tweaks and tiny investments you’ll discover on your own once you get the hang of saving energy. Soon, you’ll have a wallet full of money that can be spent on a vacation or that 60’’ TV you’ve been eyeing!
I had no idea that one degree of temperature change can affect your energy bill by 10%!
A few of these we do. We air dry our clothes and use Energy Star appliances. But other things we were not that aware of. Such as keeping the thermostat at certain temps. I did not know there was such a difference in price. Thanks for the information.
Thank you for sharing these tips. I am on budget billing so every month I know how much my bill is.
Thanks for the tips nice good
You brought up some excellent tips! I really didn’t understand how serious it is to go green!! We have really sucked up a lot of our planet’s resources all these years! My husband and I decided to do our part. We needed new appliances. The appliances we had came with the house and believe me, we really used them! So last year, we bought an energy efficient washer, dryer, and refrigerator. Plus we received $50 rebates on each appliance, from the utility companies, because they were energy efficient! Then we went to Menard’s and bought a bunch of different wattage of LED bulbs ?
Plus we found out that our two newest TVs had power savers – so we configured them. We also put a couple of lamps and a couple of small appliances on timers. We actually felt better after we did this! So did our pocketbooks. Who doesn’t like saving money?! Thank you for sharing and I pinned this.