11 Apr How to Save Money on Your Electric Bill
As the season of spring begins, we’re starting to turn off that heat and raise that air conditioning. With the fluctuating temperatures, it can be difficult to keep track of the amount of times you’re changing that thermostat. However, there are various ways to reduce that monthly power bill that take little time and effort, making your home become more energy efficient.
Here are 5 strategies that you can perform to help you save money on your electric bill:
1. Keep the thermostat turned down.
First and foremost, turning down the heat/air when nobody is at home will allow you to see an instant decrease in your bill. Whether you are going to work for the day or taking a quick trip to the grocery store, changing or turning off that thermostat is beneficial. If you keep the indoor temperature extremely similar to the outdoor temperature, the lower your bill will be.
Nevertheless, even when you are at home, the thermostat should still always be regularly monitored and turned up/down, depending on the season. Of course, this does not mean that your house should be freezing in the winter or excruciatingly hot in the summer, but this will save you a good bit of money.
2. Buy reusable air conditioning and furnace filters.
Spending a little more money to purchase reusable air conditioning and furnace filters will undoubtedly bring down your electric bill. Instead of putting off changing your filter because you are too lazy or do not want to buy a new one, use a reusable filter once you detect the dirt or dust in the current filter. This will ultimately save you the chances of your expensive HVAC unit breaking down and cut down those electricity expenses.
3. Cut down on the activities that generate a lot of heat.
Constantly engaging in activities such as using a dishwasher when it’s half full, running a computer when you’re not home, leaving the power on on your extension cord, taking long showers, etc. can all contribute to that high electric bill. Therefore, attempting to minimize these actions month by month will eventually enable you to trim down that bill.
So next time you run the dishwasher, make sure it is stock full of dirty dishes, or simply hand wash and air dry them. And instead of using artificial lighting on a sunny day, open up the blinds to let in some efficient sunlight.
4. Invest in a programmable thermostat.
If you want an efficiently operating thermostat, the best advice is to purchase a programmable one. Instead of adhering to strict limits of how high or low to keep the temperature on your thermostat throughout the day, you can simply program your thermostat automatically and set a target temperature based on you and your family’s schedule.
Programmable thermostats can also be as cheap as $25 if you buy one at a hardware store. By installing a properly programmed unit, you can save more than $100 per year on electricity expenses.
5. Reduce your water heater
By lowering the water heater temperature by just ten degrees, you can save as much as $30 in energy costs. Turning down your water heater is free; yet, it can be somewhat time consuming. However, if your water heater is set too high, you are increasing the risks of scalding and wasting money.
This do-it-yourself project can be very straightforward if you follow the instructions in the water heater’s owner manual, preserving expenses and saving up to 18% of energy.
Overall, complying with these simple tactics can not only make your house green-friendly and operate more energy efficiently, but it can also make you save big money on your electric bill.
No Comments