25 Tips to Save on Utility Bills
Sep 06, 2014
With winter lurking and news reports of anticipated rate increases by some electricity providers, take heart. There are things you can easily to do to make your home more energy efficient.
While many of them are common sense, a quick reminder here can go a long way to saving on your utility bills for years to come.
Heating System
#1: Cool it. Turn your thermostat down by two degrees during the day and wear a sweater around the house. Drop it even further at night and pile on the blankets. Use a programmable thermostat to help regulate your thermostat with consistency.
#2: Times Up. Install a timer on your water heater and furnace to turn it off at night and back on just before you wake up in the morning.
#3: Clean Heat. Cleaning your furnace filter every one-two months can increase its efficiency. Also, have your HVAC system inspected and cleaned once a year.
#4: Crank it Down. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater
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#5: Drain the Sediment.Removing sediment from your hot water heater can increase the efficiency of the heating elements. Use the valve on the side of your hot water heater to drain it two times a year.
Appliances
#6: Fill 'er Up. Dishwashers are more energy and water efficient when full. Be sure it's full before you run it.
#7: Dry Naturally. Turn off the heat dry setting on your dishwasher to minimize your energy consumption. Line drying your clothes when the weather is appropriate is also something to consider.
#8: Stock the Refrigerator and Freezer. Food acts as insulation and lessens the amount of time that it needs to run to stay cool. The more well-stocked the better!
#9: A Clean Cool. Keeping your refrigerator's condenser coil clean can improve its efficiency.
#10: Buy Energy Efficient Appliances.
#11: Marathon Dry. Dry two or more loads of laundry in a row to take advantage of an already warm dryer.
#12: Unclog the Dryer Filter. Be sure to clean the lint filter before every load. Scrub it down with soapy water and a brush every couple months to remove any additional lint trapped in the screen.
#13: Use Dryer Balls. This will speed up the drying time.
#14: House your Second Refrigerator in the Basement, Not the Garage. The basement is a better location for that extra fridge as extreme temps in the garage will cause your refrigerator to work harder.
#15: Microwave. Use your microwave when possible instead of the oven. It will use less electricity.
Lights
#16 Lights out: Go around and turn off all the lights you're not using. Encourage the entire family to go on a "lights out" kick.
#17: Dim the Lights. Install dimmer switches and you'll be able to adjust how much light you use.
#18: Bulb Switch. Replace your home's incandescent light bulbs with CFL or LED bulbs. You'll save energy with the lower wattage it takes to power the bulb but also from reduced cooling costs—incandescent bulbs give off 90 percent of their energy as heat.
#19: Install Motion Sensors. Used both inside and out, motion sensors will allow light to come on when needed and automatically shut off.
#20 Go Solar. Take advantage of the power of the sun by using solar lights for all of your outdoor needs.
Insure Your Home is Properly Insulated
#21 Weatherproof your Home. Be sure you have enough insulation, get double-pane windows, install weatherstripping around any doors and windows and caulk any cracks.
#22 Install Storm Doors. This is a great way to prevent energy loss. You may even get a tax credit for your efforts.
Timing is Everything
#23 Take advantage of off-peak rates. Check to see if your electric rates go down during off-peak hours. If so, this is the perfect time to wash laundry, heat water and run the dishwasher.
#24 Eliminate Phantom Loads. Even though an appliance is not on, there is juice going to it. "Phantom" users include: televisions, VCRs, stereos, computers and many kitchen appliances--basically anything that holds a time or other settings -- unplug the things you rarely use and remember to turn off your electronics, computers and video games when not in use.
#25 Don't Overcharge. Use a charger that knows when your electronic devices are fully charged; these types of charges cut off the charging to eliminate phantom power drain.