Heating and cooling use the most energy in most U.S. homes and cost a lot of money. To cut your energy bills, help you spend less, we made a list of easy ways. A few of these may end up saving more than you would think. You can also save even more by upgrading your home appliances with discounts or support offered by state and federal programs. These changes cut your budget, and will help the environment. Here are some ways to lower your electric bill.
12 Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill
1. Do an Energy Audit
In this case, if possible get help from the experts. Free home energy audits are also common from utility companies. If you have a supplier, they can find ways to lower your usage of energy. An audit can reveal problems like broken seals on windows and doors or leaking ducts you might not be aware of in your home and wasting energy. In addition, you’ll get advice on repairs and energy efficient fixtures. Find out how to schedule an audit of your system by calling your local power company.
2. Seal Windows, Doors, and Air Leaks
It’s not just your home heat that escapes during cold weather; it also escapes your wallet. The U.S. The Department of Energy (DOE) states that up to one third of the heat loss in homes is due to windows and doors. Air also comes in and out through cracks and gaps around electrical outlets, baseboards, ceiling hatch covers and at the top of doors. Caulk or weather stripping is used to seal those spots. This keeps warm air in, and slows drafts.
Steps for summer are the same as these. Cuts of 10 to 20 percent of your yearly heating and cooling costs—or up to $166—can be realized by sealing leaks. And weather-stripping windows can help save 5 to 10 percent more, or up to $83 a year.
Leaks may be difficult to find or reach. Once you have sealed what you can you should call in a pro to do a full energy audit. During the course of this inspection, you will be shown where hidden leaks exist and how they can be fixed.
While the Inflation Reduction Act isn’t enough, it does provide a tax credit during the energy audit for the cost of that audit, so don’t pass up the chance to save more energy money.
3. Use Window Coverings the Right Way
In winter, close your curtains to keep warmth inside. Up to 10 percent of heat can be kept from escaping through this. Curtains hung close to the windows will keep in even more heat. Open curtains on sunny windows during the day to let in the sunlight and naturally warm up a room. Close curtains again at night and when windows do not get much sun to keep the heat in.
During warm summer months, vessel curtains or blinds should be kept closed during the day’s hottest hours. Old Or Ill Fitting Windows As Sunlight can heat your home quickly if it shines in through rooms that get a lot of sun or your windows can’t stop the heat from passing through.
4. Change the Thermostat Settings
While at home you can set your thermostat to a temperature that is lower or higher than normal, but when you’re not home set a lower or higher temperature, you don’t waste any money on heating or cooling that is unnecessary. Change the temperature to what feels comfortable when you get back. In winter, lower the wattage while you sleep to reduce the HVAC appliance usage.
Cutting your heating bills by about 10% can happen by dropping it 10 to 15 degrees at night. You can also use a smart thermostat that sets a temperature you are comfortable with and adjusts based on when you are usually home. Costing between $130 and $200, these devices pay for themselves after about a year since they save you about $180 each year.
5. Use a Ceiling Fan
You can use a ceiling fan to drop the room temperature by up to 10 degrees and only need 10% of the central air energy to do so. And with this, you save money because you do not have to reduce the thermostat too low. During the summer, turn the fan on to spin forward (counter clockwise) and the fan will pull cool air from the floor and blow it back down to generate a breeze. In winter you can switch the fan from spinning in the opposite direction (clockwise) to move warm air from the ceiling down into the room.
6. Check, Clean, and Change Filters Often
Taking care of your heating and cooling systems can help you save money. Clean the filters in your furnace and air conditioner so that the systems don’t have to work too hard. Some filters can be washed and reused, other filters need to be replaced. To know what to do, look at your model’s manual. You can also get in touch with an experienced HVAC expert who can check your system and recommend ways to make it better.
7. Use Your Devices Wisely
Too much time spent on the phones, computers, TVs and other devices for work or school or fun or talking to your friends can increase your energy bills. To save power, turn on “low power mode” or “battery saver” etc. These enable you to cut down the energy use without slowing the device down.
Make sure you are using your TV as the “standard” or “normal” picture mode. More energy can be saved by turning on features such as automatic brightness control. Set your gaming console into “auto power down” so it rests but can easily be turned back on while you play.
Energy Star says that these power saving settings could save you up to $30 a year.
8. Turn off Devices You Don’t Use
Even when they appear off, some devices use electricity. These are called “energy vampires.” Cutting this hidden energy use can save you money on your electric bill. The most straightforward way to fix this is to use an advanced power strip. It helps you turn off more than one appliance at a time and prevents these from receiving power when they are on standby.
9. Cook, Clean, and Wash Using Less Energy
Changing how you use high energy appliances at home can cut your energy bills. Here are some easy tips:
Wear your clothes only once or twice before washing with cold water; wash full loads only. It saves on both energy and water.
You should not open the oven door while food is cooking. Each time the door is opened the temperature drops 25 degrees, so it takes even more energy to heat the oven back up.
Use the smaller kitchen appliances if they are available. And instead of the big oven, try a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or toaster oven. Often, these use less power.
Turn off your water heater and adjust the setting from 140 degrees to 120. Making this simple change into your life and you can save up to $400 a year on your hot water, you won’t even notice.
10. Pick the Right Lights
Incandescent bulbs are too bad with energy consumption and too expensive. Go for the LED bulbs when you need new bulbs. You will save a lot over the time since most homes have at least 40 light sockets. Using LED bulbs all over your home can save you over $100 annually.
Conclusion
Finally, making a few simple changes like these can help you lower your electric bill. In fact, sealing leaks, adjusting thermostat settings, and using energy-efficient appliances can make a big difference. Moreover, ceiling fans can be used, devices that are not being used can be turned off and LED lights can be switched to reduce energy consumption. By going through these steps you will achieve not only money savings but also will help in contributing to the greener earth. And don’t forget to make use of any available energy audits and state programs for even more savings.
FAQs
What runs your electric bill up the most?
The largest energy users are heat and cooling, washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves.
How to decrease electricity bill?
Use energy efficient practices, change to LED, and adjust your heating and cooling.
What are extreme ways to lower your electric bill?
Save more on your bill by cutting down energy usage in every which way.
What are 10 ways to save electricity?
Turn to LED bulbs, use natural light, turn off unused electronics, disconnect chargers, adjust the thermostat, shorten your showers, wash clothes in cold water, only use your appliances when they’re full, keep your air filters clean, and use a smart power strip.
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