Saving Money On Electricity!
12 Ways to Lower
Your Electricity Bill Each Month
Saving money on electricity is not difficult to do;
however, many people are unaware of how to go about lowering their monthly
bill. The cost of electricity is up, and part of living debt free is learning
to cut everyday expenses. It is easy to save $10-30 dollars minimum a month by
following some easy steps.
1. Turn off lights and appliances when not in
use. I am guilty of forgetting
to do this myself a lot of the time. It’s so easy to walk out of a room and
leave the light on, not thinking about what you are doing. When you get in the
habit yourself, try to teach your children do turn off lights also.
2. Wash your laundry in cold water, and
line-dry your clothing, sheets, and towels. Statistics show that 15-20% of your home’s electric bill goes to
heating water. Now there are some great cold water laundry detergents out there
that get the job done as well as using hot water. Also, if you must use hot
water, be sure the laundry load is full. In the spring and summer, try the
old-fashioned method of line-drying your laundry to save money.
More Ways to Save
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Alternative Home Heating Ideas to Save Money
Lower Your Heating Bill this Fall and Winter
3. When your appliances break, replace them with newer, energy-efficient appliances. When we replaced our washer, I was shocked with the difference in how much electricity it used. Older appliances simply do not make use of energy nearly as efficiently as newer ones do. Look for the Energy Star Label on appliances when you are shopping.
4. Use Energy Star fluorescent light bulbs, rather than the old-fashioned
“normal” light bulbs for saving money on electricity. These use up to
2/3 less energy and last a lot longer than the old style. Replacing just one
light bulb could save you $12-15 a year! Imagine the savings if you replaced
every light bulb in your home.
5. See if your community offers off-peak rates for using energy during
evening/night-time hours. If so, utilize this time for tasks like
running your dishwasher, washer, or dryer. Another dish washing energy-saving
tip is to not use the “heated dry” setting on your dishwasher. I will typically do my load of laundry and dishes after 6 pm because it costs less!
6. Use air-conditioners sparingly. Save them for the hottest days
of the summer. Utilize ceiling fans (if you have them), or regular fans. A fan
in the window on a cool summer night can be nearly as effective as an air-conditioner.
If you suffer from allergies (as I do), and need to use the air-conditioner, be
sure to change/clean the filter regularly. Just cleaning the filter results in
a lower electric bill.
7. Be careful about where you place your window air conditioner! If using a window air conditioner, choose the side of your house that gets the least amount of sun. The more shade it is in, the less it has to work to cool your room down.
8. This is an ingenious idea!! Use motion sensors in your kid's bedrooms. You will eliminate having to say, "did you turn your light off"? Your child's light will flick on when they enter the room and turn off when they leave. This will save you you money and your sanity.
9. Crock Pots and Barbecues are my best friends. It outputs low amounts of energy and inputs deliciousness into my belly. A definite win win.
10. If you are running room to room, keep the lights on. It actually saves you money to keep bedroom lights on for 5 minutes than it does to flick them on and off a lot. Leaving the room for more than 5 minutes? TURN THEM OFF!
11. Change your air filters. It really keeps the air clean in your home and ensures that air flow is at it's maximum capacity. We tend to change ours every six months.
12. Turn all machines off when not in use. Yes, even your computer!! It makes such a differences when we are adamant about turning off the TV, video games, and all electronics.
Saving money on electricity is easy when you follow the steps mentioned above.
When your family is living on a budget, every little bit of money you can put
away is helpful. Hope these tips help you save money on electricity!
