10 Ways to Reduce Your Electric Bill

1. Insulate all the way

The more your home is insulated, the better! Check all your windows, doors and floors for leaks. Also, be sure to check out the attic and basement, and feel around baseboards and sockets for escaping air, then seal any leaks with foam or caulking.

2. Maintain your AC unit

Summer is right around the corner, so be sure your air conditioning unit is working properly.  Maintaining the unit by checking filters regularly and listening for unfamiliar sounds can save you money in the long run. If you hear anything unusual, contact an air conditioner contractor to check on the unit.  It is a good idea to have a contractor check the unit at least once a year, to make sure everything is set before summer starts.

3. Upgrade your appliances

You might have to spend more money up front, but replacing old appliances with new, Energy Star rated appliances will help lower your utility bill in the long run. By doing this, you are ensuring that your appliances use the least amount of electricity possible.

4. Shade your house

Close the curtains and the blinds if your house is facing the sun.  This practice will help you keep cool on those warm, summer days.  If you don’t want to block the view, you can apply film to your windows to provide sun control and UV protection.  For a more natural way of staying cool, plant trees in front of windows where the sun beams shine through.

And if you live in place with a warm climate year round, consider painting your house a light color to reflect the heat.

5. Turn off the lights

It has been said before and will be said again – turn off lights when you’re not in the room. Artificial lighting makes up about 15 percent of a given home’s electricity use, so turning off lights can truly lower your electricity bill.

6. Invest in light bulbs

Using Compact Florescent Lights can reduce the amount of energy you use on lighting by 50 to 70 percent. Though they are more expensive, they last an average of ten times longer than standard light bulbs.

7. Unplug whatever you can

You may think because something is turned off, it is no longer using energy, but that is not always the case.  Some appliances can use energy even when they are turned off, as long as they are plugged in.  The same goes for phone chargers.  Plugged in chargers that are not charging devices make up six percent of the country’s electricity bill.

8. Only use appliances when necessary

Large appliances like dishwashers, washing machines and ovens use a great deal of energy.  Cut down on energy use by using these appliances in moderation.  Don’t run the dishwasher when it is half full or wash a half of a load of laundry – wait to run full loads. Also consider heating meals in the toaster oven or microwave, as they both use less energy than a stove does.

9. Wash your clothes in cold water

Did you know that 90 percent of the energy used when washing clothes goes to heating the water? Cold water is also said to be easier on clothes and linens. Only wash clothes in warm or hot water that specify the need to do so.

10. Get an energy audit

If you want to find out what changes to make in your home specifically, get an energy audit.  An auditor will inspect your home and suggest ways and places to save energy, which will in turn save you money.

What are you doing to cut down your electricity bill?