Having a high electric bill to pay every month is no fun. Money that could be used elsewhere gets diverted to the electric company. Such money could be used on a vacation trip or for dining in a nice restaurant. Slashing the monthly electric bill is a desirable objective. Here are some tips to help reduce the amount of energy you use each month in your home.
If you are using incandescent bulbs in your home, replace them with either compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL bulbs) or light-emitting diode bulbs (LED bulbs). There are LED bulbs that are guaranteed by the manufacturer to last 22 years. They use only 11 watts of power to produce the equivalent amount of light that a 75 watt incandescent bulb uses. There are 4 watt LED bulbs that produce as much light as a 60 watt bulb. Although these bulbs cost more, you will still be saving a lot of money on your electric bill over time if you invest in them.
The second tip pertains to washing clothes. Wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot or warm water if possible. By doing this, your hot water heater will not need to expend that much energy producing hot water. There are always some times when hot water will be needed to effectively remove a stain out of clothing, but if hot water is not needed do not use it.
Use a microwave oven instead of the stove or oven to cook if possible. It is unadvisable to cook some foods in a microwave, but there are still a lot of foods that can be cooked in one. Microwaves can be used to boil water, bake potatoes, and even bake eggs. They use a lot less energy to cook food than a conventional stove or oven.
Turn off any light bulbs that you are not using. It is pointless to have a light on in a room with no one in it. Many people leave their bathroom lights on at night. If you or someone else in your family is not using the bathroom, make sure that the light is out in it.
If you do not have a programmable thermostat in your home, invest in one. By using a programmable thermostat, you could reduce your electric bill 10%.
When you shop at the store, look for the government's energy star label on the products on the items you want to purchase. By using those products, you might be able to reduce your electric bill by as much as 30%.
Check the air filters in your furnace or air conditioning system. A dirty filter will make your A/C system work harder to keep you cool. It will make your furnace expend more energy to keep you warm. Dirty air filtes slow down the air flow. Clean the filters or change them if they are dirty.
Lower the water heater's temperature setting to 130 ºF and wrap the water heater in a specially designed "blanket" to retain the heat.
Seal air leaks around windows, doors, and other places in the home. By doing this, you might be able to save as much as 20% on your electric bill.
Use natural light when possible. If it is sunny outside, open your blinds and let in the sunlight. If it is dark, then use your indoor lights, but only in rooms that are occupied.
Keep your refrigerator and freezer full, but do not overfill them. Freezers and refrigerators operate more efficiently when they are full. However, if you overfill them, the airflow will be reduced and they will have to work harder to keep your food cool.
Do not keep your mobile phone on the charger too long. It usually only takes a couple of hours to charge it.
Do not place appliances that give off heat, such as TVs and lamps, near a thermostat.
When you cook something in a conventional oven, turn off the oven a few minutes before the cooking time runs out. The food will continue to cook inside the oven after it is turned off.
Use your dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers at night after 6:00 P.M. The peak usage hours on the power grid are between 4:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M. By using them at night, you will put less strain on the power grid and keep your home cooler.
Use a ceiling fan to stay cool. Heat rises. Ceiling fans blow air down so that the hot air is no longer at the top of the room. Also, you will be able to adjust your thermostat to be 4 ºF higher and still enjoy the same level of comfort if it were at the lower setting while no ceiling fan was running.
During warmer months, close the blinds on the sunny side of your home so that your A/C does not have to work too hard to keep your home cool. During cooler months, open your shades to allow the sun to warm your home.
Turn off the heated dry feature on your dishwasher. Air dry your dishes instead.
Do not leave your computer, printer, and fax machine on all day long. Only turn them on when you are using them.
Turn off your TV when no one is watching it.
These are just a small sample of things that you can do to reduce your electric bill. Saving money on your electric bill will allow to have more money to spend on other things.
