Tips to Save Money on Electricity Bills

From time to time we all think about what we can do to save money. On the other hand, the electricity bill is one of the most expensive expenses for almost all households, especially when the summer and winter months come around, we use electricity more often, turning on the air conditioner to cool our unit and the heater to warm it.

So here you’ll learn how you can do something yourself to save money and cut your electricity bills by at least half. Of course, everything you’ll learn here will take some time, but it won’t cost you anything.

1. Turn down your thermostat

Many of us can sleep well when the house is a little cold. So turning down the thermostat at night can save us money. Since the outside temperature is much lower at night, very little energy is needed to cool the house.

Many homes are cool all day and don’t have to turn on the air conditioner until the afternoon. You may not care about the temperature change, but when your bill comes, you will notice that it is much lower.

2. Change your filters frequently

Changing your furnace’s heating and cooling filters frequently and maintaining them accurately is essential. Changing your filter frequently will help prevent malfunctions.

Filters clogged with debris prevent your system from working properly and consume a lot of energy. Changing your filter regularly will help lower your energy or electricity bills, which will certainly help you save money.

3. Unplug Your Electrical Devices When it’s Not in Use

When you are not using your electrical appliances, unplug them because even if you have unplugged them, they are still using electricity if they are still plugged in.

Americans spend at least $50 a year on electrical appliances that are plugged in but not in use. To save money on electricity bills, always remember to unplug electrical appliances when you are not using them.

4. Throw the Towel in

Yes, you heard me right: when you dry your next load of laundry, put a dry towel in the wash with it. The towel will help soak up the excess water that most washing machines leave on your clothes, and will greatly reduce the time you spend drying your clothes.

Even if you have a gas dryer, you can save money on your electric bill. The less your dryer runs, the more money you can save.

5. Do Not Use Hot Water on the Electric Washers

When washing clothes or performing other tasks, always use cold water to reduce energy consumption. Above all, using hot water can reduce the size of your clothes. In addition, hot water in the washing machine is not hot enough to destroy germs.

Your dryer can destroy germs better than hot water in the washing machine. Heating the water in your washing machine is probably the biggest waste of electricity and energy in your home.

6. You Should Wash Full Loads of Laundry

Always operate full loads of laundry despite of what type of washing machine and dryer you have. You can save as much as $30 yearly if you wash one less load of laundry a week.

7. Turn the Lights Off

This is the rule we hear all the time, but which many of us forget. When you leave your room or during the day, turn off the light because you won’t need it. That would be a waste of electricity bills.

8. Let Your Dishes Dry by Itself or Air-dry Them

If you turn off the dry heating of your electric dishwasher, you can save electricity for more than a year. Its main purpose is to cook food in steam. Why spend money on drying your dishes in a steam room when you can have them dried for free?

9. Set the Right Temperature of Your Refrigerator or Freezer

Always make sure you have the right temperature in your freezer or refrigerator. It is much better to set the refrigerator at about 40 degrees.

Many people will tell you that you should set the temperature to 35-38 degrees, but this is actually not necessary, because if you keep the temperature of your refrigerator too low, it can reduce its efficiency and cost you more money.

10. Change Your Bulb to LED Bulbs

LED bulbs last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. LED bulbs can be expensive, but if you compare them to the electricity costs of incandescent bulbs, you can save more. LED bulbs use less electricity bills than incandescent bulbs.

The average lifespan of an LED bulb is about 25,000 hours as opposed to an incandescent bulb which only lasts about 750 hours. Think about how many bulbs you buy over the course of 25,000 hours. Just the cost of buying bulbs is also shocking, add to that the cost of electricity.

You pay $240 for an incandescent bulb for 25,000 hours, but you only pay $40 for an LED bulb. If you replace your lights with LED bulbs, you can save thousands over ten years.

11. Inspect Your Windows

On sunny days, keep curtains and blinds drawn to avoid the sun and avoid using the air conditioning.

On the other hand, make sure you keep your blinds and curtains closed during the winter months to let the sun in and heat the house naturally.

12. Inspect Your Windows and Doors for Air Leaks

If there are leaks from windows and doors, your cooling or heating unit will have to work overtime.

Make sure doors and windows are closed tightly and that there are no leaks that allow outside air to enter the house.

13. Choose Your Appliances Wisely

If you are planning to buy new appliances, always make sure you buy energy-saving models. When buying appliances distributed by the U.S., look for the ENERGY STARS certification, as it only means that the appliances you are buying are energy efficient. The U.S. Department of Energy has tested them and they have met the energy efficiency requirements.

14. Reduce Dependence on the Electric Appliances

Consider what appliances you really need. Use an outdoor clothesline instead of using your dryer for laundry. You can save a lot of electricity and money this way. Instead of cleaning with a vacuum cleaner, sweep the floor.

If you have carpeted floors, you should still use a vacuum cleaner, but only occasionally. Using a vacuum cleaner every day consumes a lot of energy. Reduce your dependence on small electrical appliances. Stop using a hair dryer and let your hair dry in the air/wind.

15. When You Cook, Use Pressure Cooker

You can use pressure cooker not only for the convenience it gives but also because it can help you save time and energy to cook. You can cook in less than half of the time as well with it.

16. When You Bake, Turn Off the Oven

When you bake, it is best to turn your oven off ten minutes before the required times for your cooking. Just let the heat that’s still in the oven to finish baking the food.

17. Always Cover the Leftovers

If you put leftover food in the refrigerator without a lid, the liquid can spread steam, which increases the load on the compressor and consumes more energy and electricity.

That’s why it’s a good idea to always cover the leftovers you put in the fridge so you don’t waste more energy and electricity bills.

18. Close Your Doors

When you want to leave your room, always keep the door closed. This will help your heating and air conditioning units save electricity bills.

You can also turn off the ventilation in your room to reduce energy costs. When you return to your room, you can simply turn on the ventilation.

19. Change Your Roof Color

Homeowners who plan to change the color of their roof should paint it white or light colors. Studies show that black or darker roof colors can actually attract more sun.

Air conditioning costs for homes with white or lighter roofs are up to 20% lower during the hot and sunny months compared to homes with black or darker roofs.

20. Have the Best Insulation in Your House

If you don’t insulate your home perfectly, all the money you spend on heating and cooling can escape through doors, windows and even the roof. Always strive to insulate your home adequately and perfectly.

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