Save Money on the Cost of Your Electricity

We all know that feeling of dread when the electric bill comes and you never exactly know how much it is going to be. More often than not, it will be more than you expected and you will have to take money from something else in order to pay it. Don’t fret any longer though, because there are things you can do to permanently save money on electricity and save energy in your home.

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1. You Hot Water Tank

One of the biggest wastes of electricity in your home comes in the form of heating your water. Think of it like this: how often do you ever turn the faucet all the way up when needing hot water? Not often, right? When you are turning your faucet up as high as it can go, the hottest water is coming out, which will likely be too hot for your needs. This means you are heating your water hotter than you need it to be, which is wasting money and energy! Set your hot water tank to no more than 140 degrees F for optimal savings and use!

2. Turn Appliances Off!

This sounds like an obvious solution, but it is important to realize that many people don’t turn their appliances off! Even if your DVD player or computer is on stand-by, it is still considered to be “on” and is still using electricity. Some appliances, such as your microwave, use electricity when they are off! If you use your clock on your microwave, consider getting a battery operated one instead and unplug your microwave if you don’t use it daily.

3. Check For Drafts

Drafts in your home can drain the money right out of your pockets. You should only be paying for heating your own home, not the entire neighborhood! A good project that can save you some cash would be to search your home for drafts.

You will want to check all the windows and doors to make sure they are sealed well. A great way to do this is to use a stick of incense or a candle giving off smoke to see where the smoke is going. If it is going outside, you probably need to seal that area.

In addition to windows, check fireplaces, wall air conditioning units and even electrical outlets and switch plates.

4. Change Your Light Bulbs

Using energy efficient light bulbs can also permanently cut down on your energy costs. These bulbs work by having a lower wattage and also emitting a cooler temperature. These light bulbs also emit a bright, white glow as opposed to a dull, yellowish glow of normal light bulbs.

You may also want to consider “candle bulbs”, as these use less electricity than normal light bulbs and will also give your room some ambiance!

5. Get Insulated

The absolute best way to save money on your electric costs will require a bit of an investment, but it will save you money in the long run. Installing new insulation can save you $100’s of dollars per year and will pay for itself in savings. If you don’t have money to insulate your whole home, you can still get quite a bit of savings from simply insulating your attic.

You also may want to consider getting new energy efficient doors and windows installed. Like new insulation, these items will certainly pay for themselves over time.