Tips on Lowering Your Utility Bill

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We bet you like when you're in control of things - especially when it comes to your utility bill. So why not control your usage - making some tweaks here and there - to lower what you owe every month?

Consider these tips because sometimes doing the smallest things can make the biggest difference, such as reducing your bill as much as 25%...

Water

  • Hot water is the second largest expense when it comes to powering most homes, according to the Energy Department. Cutting back on your hot water usage could put a good dent in your energy bill.
  • Take shorter showers: Slicing two minutes off your shower time could cut your water usage by five gallons per shower. Multiply five by the number of times you take a shower in a week...then multiply that number by four = a lot of water! Trimming off that two minutes can make a HUGE difference!
  • Avoid washing clothes in hot water: Stick to warm, or better yet, cold. This will cut your energy usage per load by at least HALF!
  • Dripping faucets? Have them repaired! That's literally gallons of water going down the drain. 
  • Adjust your water heater temp: Lowering it to 120 degrees can reduce your water heating costs by up to 10%.
  • Replace your showerhead: 2,700 gallons per year could be saved by installing an energy-efficient appliance. Be on the lookout for ones with the WaterSense label, which meets efficiency criteria set by the Environmental Protection Agency [EPA].
  • If you have the extra money to spend, consider energy-efficient appliances and replace the ones that run the most often. If not, do the above to make a big difference.

Electricity and/or Gas

  • Swapping out your bulbs to LED or compact fluorescent. Do that in your five most-used light fixtures and you could save up to $75 per year. Go for the packages with the Energy Star label.
  • Dimmer switches allow you adjust and set the brightness in a room. That saves electricity.
  • Smart Power Strips: You charge those electronic devices, don't you? And some gadgets will stay in standby mode [versus powering off] which means they're just sucking out energy. Plug things into smart power strips. They will cut off the current when those devices aren't in use.
  • Check seals around your door, windows, and yes - your appliances! Weatherize your home. Energy seeps out if there are bad seals. And that will reflect in your bill.
  • Tweak that thermostat: When you're asleep or away from home, setting your thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees can help lower your heating/cooling costs by roughly 10%.
  • Check the temp of your fridge and freezer: Set your fridge to 38 degrees and between 0 and 5 degrees for your freezer. Your food will remain fresh and frozen and your appliances won't have to work so hard.
  • And for the 'duh' one: Turn off or unplug everything that isn't being used!!

 

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