A Beginners Guide To Saving Money On Your Electricity Bills
We’re all searching for ways to save money. And we generally go for the simple things like not buying big brand food products or getting handy with a needle and thread to give clothes a new lease of life. It’s true that these will save you money. But cutting down on your bill expenditure is where the big bucks are at.
Bills aren’t anyone’s favorite topic. For good reason. It’s much simpler to bury our heads in the sand than face the nightmare of electricity ad gas providers. But taking the time to assess your home for any electricity expenditures that can be cut down easily will pay dividends.
Now, this is a beginners guide, so we’re easing you in slowly to saving on your electricity bills. But there are oodles of alternative ways you can save money on your household bills, so don’t be scared to take the plunge! Once you start, you just won’t be able to stop.
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Fridge
There’s surprisingly a considerable amount you can do with your fridge and freezer to help lower your bills. And they’re all effortless to do. First up, raise the temperature by a couple of degrees. The fresh section only needs to be 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit. And for the freezer, it only needs to be between 0 and -5. When you first get them, they’ll be at factory settings which are usually a few degrees lower than they need to be, so they’re using power they don’t need.
Keep it as full as possible! A stocked-up fridge and freezer use less energy to keep cold because all the stuff inside helps regulate the temperature.
Dishwasher
We tend to avoid using our dishwasher because we’re under the impression it will cost us more. That’s completely untrue; you use much less water than you would be hand washing. Optimizing it to stop hemorrhaging cash is easy too. First off, run it at night. Power is in less demand at night, so it’ll likely be cheaper because prices are on sale. And always remember to pack it full. If you only have it half full, wait! Filling the dishwasher up will save you time, electricity, and money because you’ll run it less.
You can save an extra buck by turning off the heat dry setting. Having the dishwasher dry the plates for you is pleasant but costly. Turn it off and opt to let them air dry or rub them down with a towel.
Laundry
There are LOTS you can do to decrease your electricity bill when it comes to your laundry. The big one: line dry it. It’s pretty obvious, but it’s easy to get into a routine of having the machine do it for you. Make the most of the sun while you can and get them outside. Your clothes will smell beautiful.
Just like with your dishwasher, you can run your washer at night. It’ll help you avoid peak times and peak prices. And wash your clothes in cold water. The temp of the water doesn’t matter when it comes to getting stuff clean. Getting a cold water detergent helps if you’re worried they won’t be clean enough.
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Lighting
A quick and easy tip; swap your lightbulbs for LED ones. They can use 80% less energy than traditional bulbs. That adds up to a significant cost saving for you long-term. And, of course, there’s the classic. Switch the lights off when you vacate the room. If you’re not great at remembering, consider investing in a smart home system. It’s a high upfront cost, but long term can save you a lot. That light you forgot to switch off doesn’t have to wait until you get home from work. Just pop on the app and switch it off on the go.
Windows
Windows, especially old ones, could be costing you a lot of money. Old seals mean that the warm air escapes with ease. Leaving you to turn up the heat just to stay warm. So have a quick run around and check they’re closing and sealing properly.
Window shades in the summer can help you save on AC use because they’ll reduce heat gains. If you don’t have shades, you can give your houseplant a new home around the windows. They’ll naturally shade you from the sun and look beautiful while they do it.
For The Truly Committed: Solar Panels
Fitting solar panels is one of the most guaranteed ways to make significant savings on your electricity bill. Often, the amount that you save is more than the amount it takes to install them.
If the idea of installation puts you off, try choosesolar. They’re a community solar project committed to connecting people to a solar farm in the local community for renewable energy. And what’s better is there is no need to install solar panels.
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