How to Cut Electricity Bills
Cutting your electric bill is easy just by following a few simple steps. As costs for electricity skyrocket, everyone is interested in learning how to reduce their electric bills. Home maintenance is the key to keeping your home operating at optimal performance.
- Check the furnace ducts in each room. You should not have any furniture or drapes blocking them. Keep passageways clear, or your furnace has to work twice as hard.
- Use energy efficient fluorescent light bulbs instead of incandescent. They cost more initially but reduce energy consumption up to 75 percent. They also last much longer than ordinary light bulbs.
- Install a timer in your bathroom. People frequently leave lights and exhaust fans on in their bathrooms. Installing a timer will automatically turn off lights, exhaust fans and heat lamps after a certain amount of time you set.
- Unplug cell phone chargers. They continue to pull energy, even if they are not charging a phone.
- Check windows and outdoor electric receptacles for drafts. Clean and re-caulk any windows with old, cracked caulking. Outdoor receptacles can be insulated with rubber weatherproofing seals.
- Clean under and behind your refrigerator. Dust accumulating on the coils causes the refrigerator to work harder.
- Have your heating and cooling system inspected every three years for efficiency.
- Replace weather stripping around your door if it is loose or damaged.
- Use a digital programming thermostat to control temperature. It can save more than $300 a year.
- Lower your temperature by one or two degrees in the winter, or raise it one or two degrees in the summer and benefit the savings of two or three percent off the electric bill.
- Install ceiling fans and turn off the air conditioner.
- Turn off the heat cycle on the dishwasher and allow the dishes to air dry. You can also use a low energy cleaning cycle if your dishwasher has one.
- Replace any appliances you need with energy efficient versions. New units will have an EnergyGuide on the front.