There are a lot of ways to reduce your energy bill. You already probably know about the major ones: turn off lights when you leave the room, switch out incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, etc. But what if we told you that there were other ways that the whole family could work together to lower your electric bill? Here are a few of them:
Comparison Shop
Make sure that you are getting the absolute best rate possible. Use SaveOnEnergy.com to find out what’s available in your area. Compare the companies and what they offer to make sure that you are getting the very best rate possible for the power that you are using. You could keep the lights off all day and it might not add up to the savings you could achieve if you found a better and more cost effective company to supply power to your home.
Plant Trees
Planting trees around your home can really help you save money on your energy bills. They provide shade in the summer, reducing your need to blast the air conditioner. In the winter, the trees act as buffers against wind chill, reducing your dependency on the heater. Planting trees around the home has been proven to lower heating and cooling costs by as much as twenty five percent!
Stock Up
An empty fridge requires more power to keep things cool. The same goes for your freezer. Sure it seems that the inverse would be true: the fewer items inside, the easier it is for the cold air to reach them. Food, though, acts as a sort of insulation (for warm and cool air) so the more food you put in your fridge and freezer the easier it will be to stay cooled off and the less energy the appliances will use over the long term.
Off Peak
Most electric companies charge different rates for energy used during “peak” (or popular) hours and “off peak” (less popular) hours. Take advantage of the off peak time to do the things that require the most electricity: run the heater or air conditioner, do the laundry, put a load through the dishwasher, shower, etc.
Learn to Love the Cold Water
A lot of the energy you consume in your home is done through the heating up of the water you use. Sure you need hot water while you’re washing dishes—it helps kill bacteria. You don’t necessarily need super hot water for your laundry or even your body. Set the washing machine to “cold” and turn down the heat while you shower. The shower doesn’t have to be super cold, obviously, but it doesn’t have to be hot enough to turn your skin red either (plus, cooler water is better for your hair).
Cool Off
Let your food cool before you put it into the fridge. It’s okay to let your leftovers cool properly on the counter before you stick them in the fridge or the freezer. When you put still hot food into the fridge or the freezer it raises the temperature inside the appliance, which makes it work harder to stay cool. For that matter, make sure that everything is covered to cut down on the amount of condensation build up inside the fridge, which makes the machine work harder.
These are just some of the ways to reduce your energy costs. With a little bit of research you can turn up all sorts of helpful hints and tricks for keeping those utility bills low.
