If you’ve been trying to find ways to save on your electric bill, you’ve come to the right place. This post will be teaching you how to save money on the electric bill. There will be three categories for my tips: Heating/Cooling, Water, and Power. Let’s get to it!
How to Save on Heating or Cooling
I used to live in a warm city, and back then, my air conditioner was my biggest expense as far as energy consumption went. When I moved to a colder city, the opposite happened — heating became my biggest expense! Whether you’re trying to save money on cooling or heating, here a few tips you can use:
Keep all Your Doors, Windows, and Gaps Sealed
Most modern windows have rubber gaskets to keep the cold (or warm) air in. Keeping these seals in good shape is essential to maintaining the temperature of your home. When you keep the cool or warm air in, you won’t have to use the air conditioner or heater as much. This translates to some pretty big savings in your electric bill.
And even if your home doesn’t have any rubber seals, make sure your doors and windows are always closed. Also, check the seals around your air conditioner and radiator. Those things usually have tiny, unnoticeable gaps that minimize the efficacy of your appliances.
Adjust Your Thermostat
If you have a programmable thermostat, you can program it to a lower or higher temperature when you’re not in the house. Since you’re not home, the change in temperature won’t matter much to you. But the savings on your electric bill most definitely will. Doing this for at least eight hours a day could lower your power bill by as much as 10% each month!
Keep Your Ducts Properly-Maintained
Well-maintained cooling and heating ducts will help your air conditioner and heater work at peak efficiency. It might be a hassle to check your heating and cooling systems, but it’s a necessary evil when it comes to saving on your electric bill. So make sure you keep your ducts in a row (sorry I just had to say that).
Adjust Your Freezer and Fridge Thermostat
Confession time: I’m not exactly what you could call domesticated. I used to keep my fridge set to full blast all the time. My instinct when it came to my fridge was, the colder, the better. I had to learn the hard (read: expensive) way that that isn’t always true. Keeping my fridge at maximum coldness could even harm some of the food kept in it. So I lowered the temperature on my fridge and freezer by a few degrees. My food stayed just as fresh, but, best of all, my electric bill also got noticeably lower.
How to Save on Hot Water
You’ll be surprised to find out that the second-biggest expense in the average household is water heating. And I love a hot shower in the morning as much as the next person, but cutting back on hot water is one of the best ways to reduce electricity bills.
Luckily, this doesn’t mean freezing through your morning shower. You can lessen your hot water consumption without sacrificing too much. Here are some methods to do that:
Don’t Take Too Long in the Shower
I’m totally guilty of taking my sweet time in the shower! But cutting just a couple of minutes from the time spent in the shower can lessen your water consumption by a whopping ten gallons.
Keep Your Showerhead Clean
You might not know it, but your showerhead could actually be clogged. Even a clogged showerhead can be kind of useable. Since clogs happen over a long period of time, we might not notice the clog happening. It’s best to check regularly and replace the showerhead, if needed. A clean, free-flowing showerhead can save you up to 2,700 gallons of water each year.
Keep Your Faucets Clean
Keep your faucets clean for the same reason as your showerheads. Also, dripping faucets aren’t just irksome, in time they end up wasting lots of water. So check your faucets regularly, and fix them as soon as you notice any leaks or drips.
Don’t Use Hot Water for the Laundry
This one isn’t so hard to do. Since most clothes won’t mind getting washed in cold water, there isn’t any reason to use hot or warm water while washing them.
Lower Your Water Heater a Bit
Most water heaters are set at 140 degrees by default. This happens to be my preferred heat level, but lowering that setting put a big dent on my monthly electricity consumption. I lowered my heater to 120 degrees and found out I could save 10% on the cost of water heating. Now, the temperature change is definitely noticeable… but then, so are the savings!
How to Save on Power and Lighting
The tips on this section are pretty basic ones — but they’re still important things to remember when trying to save on your electric bill. Let’s check them out:
Use Dimmer Switches
More often than not, we don’t need lights at 100% brightness all the time. Installing dimmer switches will allow you to lower the lights to suit your needs and mood. As a result, you’ll be cutting back on your energy consumption as well.
Use LED Light Bulbs
LED bulbs cost more than your usual fluorescent bulbs. But they last longer and consume less power, so you end up saving more money in the process. Using LEDs in your most-used rooms could save you to $75 per year on your power bill.
Unplug Appliances When Not in Use
Just because an appliance is switched off, that doesn’t mean it isn’t consuming power. Your microwave oven, lamp, blender, and toaster oven could all be drawing power! If you’re not going to use them for at least a day, it could be a good idea to unplug them. Or better yet, get a power strip with a master switch.
Use Less Power
This one is a no-brainer, but the best way to save on your electric bill is to simply use less electricity. Make sure you switch off any lights before you leave the room. Switch off the TV when no one is watching… there are countless ways to save on power.
How to Save on Heating or Cooling
I used to live in a warm city, and back then, my air conditioner was my biggest expense as far as energy consumption went. When I moved to a colder city, the opposite happened — heating became my biggest expense! Whether you’re trying to save money on cooling or heating, here a few tips you can use:
Keep all Your Doors, Windows, and Gaps Sealed
Most modern windows have rubber gaskets to keep the cold (or warm) air in. Keeping these seals in good shape is essential to maintaining the temperature of your home. When you keep the cool or warm air in, you won’t have to use the air conditioner or heater as much. This translates to some pretty big savings in your electric bill.
And even if your home doesn’t have any rubber seals, make sure your doors and windows are always closed. Also, check the seals around your air conditioner and radiator. Those things usually have tiny, unnoticeable gaps that minimize the efficacy of your appliances.
Adjust Your Thermostat
If you have a programmable thermostat, you can program it to a lower or higher temperature when you’re not in the house. Since you’re not home, the change in temperature won’t matter much to you. But the savings on your electric bill most definitely will. Doing this for at least eight hours a day could lower your power bill by as much as 10% each month!
Keep Your Ducts Properly-Maintained
Well-maintained cooling and heating ducts will help your air conditioner and heater work at peak efficiency. It might be a hassle to check your heating and cooling systems, but it’s a necessary evil when it comes to saving on your electric bill. So make sure you keep your ducts in a row (sorry I just had to say that).
Adjust Your Freezer and Fridge Thermostat
Confession time: I’m not exactly what you could call domesticated. I used to keep my fridge set to full blast all the time. My instinct when it came to my fridge was, the colder, the better. I had to learn the hard (read: expensive) way that that isn’t always true. Keeping my fridge at maximum coldness could even harm some of the food kept in it. So I lowered the temperature on my fridge and freezer by a few degrees. My food stayed just as fresh, but, best of all, my electric bill also got noticeably lower.
How to Save on Hot Water
You’ll be surprised to find out that the second-biggest expense in the average household is water heating. And I love a hot shower in the morning as much as the next person, but cutting back on hot water is one of the best ways to reduce electricity bills.
Luckily, this doesn’t mean freezing through your morning shower. You can lessen your hot water consumption without sacrificing too much. Here are some methods to do that:
Don’t Take Too Long in the Shower
I’m totally guilty of taking my sweet time in the shower! But cutting just a couple of minutes from the time spent in the shower can lessen your water consumption by a whopping ten gallons.
Keep Your Showerhead Clean
You might not know it, but your showerhead could actually be clogged. Even a clogged showerhead can be kind of useable. Since clogs happen over a long period of time, we might not notice the clog happening. It’s best to check regularly and replace the showerhead, if needed. A clean, free-flowing showerhead can save you up to 2,700 gallons of water each year.
Keep Your Faucets Clean
Keep your faucets clean for the same reason as your showerheads. Also, dripping faucets aren’t just irksome, in time they end up wasting lots of water. So check your faucets regularly, and fix them as soon as you notice any leaks or drips.
Don’t Use Hot Water for the Laundry
This one isn’t so hard to do. Since most clothes won’t mind getting washed in cold water, there isn’t any reason to use hot or warm water while washing them.
Lower Your Water Heater a Bit
Most water heaters are set at 140 degrees by default. This happens to be my preferred heat level, but lowering that setting put a big dent on my monthly electricity consumption. I lowered my heater to 120 degrees and found out I could save 10% on the cost of water heating. Now, the temperature change is definitely noticeable… but then, so are the savings!
How to Save on Power and Lighting
The tips on this section are pretty basic ones — but they’re still important things to remember when trying to save on your electric bill. Let’s check them out:
Use Dimmer Switches
More often than not, we don’t need lights at 100% brightness all the time. Installing dimmer switches will allow you to lower the lights to suit your needs and mood. As a result, you’ll be cutting back on your energy consumption as well.
Use LED Light Bulbs
LED bulbs cost more than your usual fluorescent bulbs. But they last longer and consume less power, so you end up saving more money in the process. Using LEDs in your most-used rooms could save you to $75 per year on your power bill.
Unplug Appliances When Not in Use
Just because an appliance is switched off, that doesn’t mean it isn’t consuming power. Your microwave oven, lamp, blender, and toaster oven could all be drawing power! If you’re not going to use them for at least a day, it could be a good idea to unplug them. Or better yet, get a power strip with a master switch.
Use Less Power
This one is a no-brainer, but the best way to save on your electric bill is to simply use less electricity. Make sure you switch off any lights before you leave the room. Switch off the TV when no one is watching… there are countless ways to save on power.
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