Saving Money on Your Electric Bill

Americans spend about 2-3% of their monthly salary on electricity.  That may not seem like a lot, but implementing some of these simple changes can add quite a bit of cash to your bottom line over time… and most of them are pretty easy to put into practice!

1. Install a programmable thermostat so that you’re not paying for heat when you really don’t need it.  Adjust heat down during the day when the family is at work and school, as well as at night when you’re in bed. Sleeping in cooler temps?  Just add extra layers of blankets to your bed!
2. In the winter, make sure you dress in layers to stay warm and toasty… no need to turn up the heat if you can just put on a sweater to stay comfortable.
3. Unplug all appliances that aren’t being used – they are energy vampires!
4. Switch to using all LED or CFL lights in the lamps you have at home if you haven’t already.  They may cost a little bit more initially, but in the long run they last longer and consume less energy.
5. Turn your hot water heater temperature down.  Your hot water doesn’t have to be heated to scalding hot.  Turning it down saves money and also prevents accidental burns.
6. Don’t run your dishwasher unless it’s full.  Wash what you can in the sink to save money.
7. Skip the drying cycle in the dishwasher and let dishes air dry or dry them as they come out of the machine.
8. Wait until you have a full load to do laundry.
9. Wash your clothes in cold water.  Unless you are washing towels, dishcloths, or rags– it’s ok to wash your clothes in cold water.
10. Use an energy-efficient heater for small spaces in the winter time.  If the entire family is hanging out in one room for the evening, no reason to heat the entire house.  Invest is a small energy efficient space heater to heat one room.
11. When it’s cold outside, crack your oven after you use it.  Don’t let all of that good heat go to waste.  Crack your oven open when it’s warm to continue heating your kitchen.
12. Make sure you change your HVAC filters twice a year.  That way, your unit won’t have to work so hard and ultimately consume less energy.  The filters are cheap, and more than pay for themselves in energy savings!
13. Flush your hot water heater twice a year.  This prevents hard water sediment from building up, which is the number one factor in corrosion, which will ultimately lead to you having to replace it sooner… and those units aren’t cheap!
14. You can also get an insulator jacket for your hot water heater so it doesn’t have to consume so much energy to stay warm!
15. Use energy-efficient ceiling fans to circulate air when temps are high.  This can help you save some money on air conditioning in the summer, as well as heating in in the winter (reverse the blades).
16. Seal off leaky doors and windows in the winter with so warm air doesn’t escape.  Invest in some caulk, weatherstripping or a window insulator kit and you’ll end up saving money over time.
17. In the winter, keep your curtains and blinds up during sunny days, and in the summer close them. More Ways to Save on Your Heating Bill