Ways To Slash Your Energy Bill
Knowing what's upping the bill can help in lowering your costs
An easy way for consumers to save money is by slashing their energy bill. Whether you want to alter your home to improve energy efficiency or simply conserve the energy you already use, there are countless ways to cut your energy costs. With this in mind, here are a few easy ways to save on your energy bill today and over time.
CONDUCT AN ENERGY AUDIT
Conducting an energy audit can help you determine your home’s energy efficiency. Your utility company may offer this service free of charge, or you can conduct one yourself. Either way, you’ll want to determine ways to reduce energy waste.
ELIMINATE PHANTOM ENERGY
Did you know that whether you’re using your devices or not, they are using energy? So, take the time to plug them into a power strip and turn them off when the devices are not in use.
TRY HANGING UP YOUR LAUNDRY TO DRY
Dryers use around 3000 watts, on average, every load you use. To avoid using excess energy, try using a clothesline to dry your clothes. This not only helps you save money on your electric bill, but it helps you avoid shrinking your favorite cotton shirt.
CLEAN YOUR HVAC FILTERS
Home heating, ventilation, and cooling systems cost Americans about $29 billion annually. Therefore, make sure you get annual HVAC maintenance and clean your permanent filters at least monthly to ensure your system isn’t working harder than it has to.
USE LED LIGHTS
LED lights are 75% more efficient than incandescent bulbs and last 25 times longer, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. As your lightbulbs break, replace them with LED bulbs to save energy and money over time.
WASH YOUR DISHES BY HAND
You can cut down on the cost of heating extra water as well as the electricity it takes to run your dishwasher by doing your dishes by hand. This can help you cut your dishwashing cost and eliminates the cost of drying dishes.
LOWER YOUR HOT WATER TEMPERATURE
Did you know that you can change the thermostat on your home’s water heater? By doing so, you can decrease the amount of energy that your water heater uses.
PURCHASE ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES
ENERGY STAR models of appliances are specifically designed to help people cut long-term costs. Most appliances in the ENERGY STAR program are designed to use less water and electricity than their predecessors.
DO FULL LAUNDRY LOADS
When you run your laundry machine, be sure to make sure the load is full. You should also be mindful of selecting the appropriate size of the load. Additionally, using cold water in your laundry machine can help save the energy it takes to heat water.
INSTALL A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT
Controlling your home’s temperature can help you save on energy each month. A programmable thermostat will help you change the temperature when you do not need to climate control your home.
PUT COOLED ITEMS IN THE FRIDGE
Your fridge will not work as hard to cool food if it is already room temperature when you put it in. Therefore, let food cool after cooking it before putting it in the fridge to help cut energy costs.
INSULATE YOUR WATER HEATER
Your water heater can be more efficient when you insulate it. Additionally, you may want to insulate the first few yards of piping to help avoid heat escaping.
USE LIDS WHEN COOKING
An easy way to save energy is to cook with lids. They will help your food cook faster, thus using less energy on your stovetop.
TURN LIGHTS OFF
Turning your lights off will not only reduce the energy that they use but will also decrease the energy it takes to cool your home due to the heat that lightbulbs put off.
COMPLETE MAINTENANCE ON DUCTS AND VENTS
Your ducts and vents often leak air, which wastes energy. Therefore, have a professional check out your ducts and vents and get maintenance as needed.
USE WEATHER-STRIPPING
Weather-stripping is when you fill any gaps in window frames or doorframes. This will help to keep your heat or cooling in and prevent drafts. It will also reduce the stress on your HVAC system, thus cutting your energy costs by up to 20%.