Saving money can be difficult so you want to cut costs wherever possible to increase your savings. Lowering your electric bill can save a few dollars each month which adds up to extra money in your pocket. But how can we cut our electric bill without making major sacrifices or investing extra money to see some savings? Check out these 10 ways on how to lower your electric bills. They are simple things that everyone can do to save more money each month.
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Heat, Air Conditioning or a combination of both will usually take up the majority of the cost of your electric bill. So, making some simple changes in this area can ensure that you are getting the most for your money and not spending extra money for nothing. You can also print out the free checklist to help you lower your electric bill.
{Related: Save money on your heating bills}
1. If you are wearing a sweater in your house in August because it is freezing in there, turn the thermostat up a few degrees and take off that sweater. On that note, if it is Winter and it is extremely warm in your home and you are walking around in light clothing, turn the thermostat down and put on some clothes. Makes sense, right? It will help you save money.
2. During warmer months, use appliances like the clothes dryer, dishwasher and oven in the morning or evening when it is cooler outside. Your AC will not have to work as hard to keep your home cool than if you used them when outside temperatures are at their highest.
3. Using fans in your home will help the air to circulate properly which puts less pressure on your AC or heat. If you have a ceiling fan it should have a switch to change the direction of the fan’s rotation. If it is hot in the room, you want to push the hot air up and out of the room, so the fan should rotate in a counter-clockwise direction. If it is cold in the room you want to trap the heat in the room, so the fan should rotate clockwise. Proper air circulation means savings.
4. Use blackout curtains. They are pretty inexpensive and help to keep the heat out in the warmer months and during the colder months, saving you money all year round. Small changes can really add up over time.
Certain appliances and electronics can use a lot of energy which will end up costing a lot of money. Here are a few things that can help you save a few bucks.
5. Video game consoles, desktop computers and plasma TVs are some of the worst energy using offenders in most homes. Turning them off every time you leave the house or are not using them can be a pain but if you plug them into one power strip you can just flip one switch to turn them all off. At first it may be a chore to remember, but once you see the savings it will be worth it. I am guilty of leaving my computer on all the time because I hate waiting for it to re-boot when I need to use it. This is definitely a tip I need to work on!
6. When you wash your clothes in hot water, the machine uses a lot of energy to heat the water. Wash on a cold cycle whenever possible for extra savings.
{Related: Ways to save energy in your home}
7. Do not constantly open your oven door to check on the cooking process. If your oven door does not have a window, try to wait until closer to the end of cooking time to check on the food. Each time you open the door, while cooking, the temperature can drop up to 75 degrees and your oven needs to work extra hard each time to get the temperature back to normal. Each time the temperature drops, it costs you more money.
8. Use night lights in the bathroom, kitchen and kid’s rooms to ease their fears and light the way without the need to turn on all the lights. This uses less energy than turning the lights on when using the bathroom or getting a drink of water in the middle of the night.
9. Make sure the lint trap in your clothes dryer is clean before each use and do not overfill the dryer. A clean lint trap and proper size load allows air to flow and dry your clothes faster and more efficiently.
It seems like every time you turn around, prices are going up. Bills are increasing and the cost of living is higher and higher. We need to find ways to cut costs and build our savings. These 10 ways on how to lower your electric bills are simple things that anyone can implement into their day to day lives to save some extra money each month.
