Whether you’re struggling with bills or you have a decent amount of money saved, chances are you’d love to save money on your monthly energy bill. Since families spend more time at home, it’s natural for them to experience higher utility costs.
What if there were some easy changes you could make to reduce your monthly energy bill? Here’s a list of cost-effective yet straightforward tips that will save you money without compromising the quality of energy in your home.
Invest in energy-efficient appliances
If you’re in the market for upgraded appliances, invest in energy-efficient models. Not only do they conserve energy while they run, but they also use less hot water. Using an energy-efficient appliance runs well on cold water. Since your appliances won’t have to burn as much energy heating water, you’ll pay less every month.
For set-in stains, you can occasionally use hot or warm water to get them out and still keep your bills low. When it comes to the drying process, saving energy takes time. Even if it takes longer, drying your clothes at a lower temperature helps conserve energy and lowers overall energy costs. If you want to speed up the drying process, you can throw in a dry towel.
If you have to use heat, dry your loads back to back. The dryer has less time to lose heat and also makes them dry faster. Best of all, you can take those appliances with you if you decide to move.
Check your insulation
If you notice your home is warm while you have the air conditioner on, you may have some insulation issues. Once you notice the leakage, it might be time for insulation removal and replacement. You can do some of this yourself by caulking your windows and sealing the base of your doors. However, in severe cases, you should hire a professional.
Keep your air ducts clean
While this may seem like an insignificant gesture, keeping your air ducts clean helps reduce energy costs. The air requires more energy to blow through dirty vents, so experts recommend cleaning them at least once every 30 days for optimal results.
Lower the temperatures of your appliances
When you’re not home, your air and heat are burning a hole through your wallet. An easy way to avoid this is to reduce the temperature on your appliances, especially when you leave. Lowering temperatures by at least ten degrees can reduce energy costs by ten percent.
You can do the same with your refrigerator and freezer. That way, they don’t have to work as hard to keep your food at a healthy temperature.
Pay attention to your water
Cutting back on hot water usage applies to more than just your laundry. Since hot water is one of the most expensive energy costs in your home, you need to cut back on how often you use it. For instance, you can take shorter showers. Shortening your shower by two minutes is enough to save five gallons of water per person.
You should also make sure you don’t have any leaky faucets. Even if you have the water turned off, a leaky faucet costs you gallons of water every day. The same applies to a leaky toilet. Having these replaced with energy-saving will save money on each flush and bath or shower.
Even if you are doing well financially, you can always afford to save money and the planet. Making small changes like replacing leaky faucets and switching to energy-saving appliances can make a big difference financially. Some areas of California are going to make sure of it too, whether it is tax rebates for low water consumption or new recycling laws to force business owners to limit their waste, the winds of eco-change are swapping in state and nationwide.
Think about it, the money you save can be used for family outings or other financial obligations. If you need help figuring out how to make your energy bills more cost-effective, you should contact your energy company immediately.