10 At-Home Ways To Save Money on Your Energy Bill

Saving money on your electric bill doesn’t have to mean doing a total home repair. Here are ten easy fixes to lower your energy usage!

1. Change your light bulbs
Using LED or CFL bulbs can save you a ton. For example, a 600 lumen light will only use 11 watts in LED but 60 watts in fluorescent. Newer lights can be dimmed for different lighting amounts for television watching or enjoying the space. But be careful to check the degrees Kelvin for light color. For safety, use LED over CFL in areas you need the lights bright immediately, such as the front porch and bathroom.

2. Update your appliances
Updating appliances is a big investment. Be sure to check energy usage over time and opt for the most energy efficient options, even if that means skipping the ice in the door. Do not move the outdated appliance to the garage or basement! When plugged in, they are still sucking energy there.

3. Only run appliances during cooler hours
Appliances such as the dryer, dishwasher, and oven get really hot when they run and can increase the air temperature around them. Try to wait until later hours after the temperature as decreased to run these appliances. However, it is not recommended to run them overnight.

4. Conserve water
Water needs energy to be heated and moved. Try to use cold or warm water when possible. When using your washer, run only full loads in cold water.

5. Unplug
It is said appliances will still pull 75% of their electrical capacity, even when they’re off if they are plugged in. So, unplug when you’re done! Fans, coffee makers, chargers, television, microwave, and more. Try plugging multiple things into a single power strip so you only have to worry about one plug.

6. Keep vents and fans clean
If the vent isn’t clean, the appliances must work harder. Clean vents and fans on all appliances at least quarterly. And don’t forget the HVAC! HVAC filters are usually under $20 and will leave you saving money and breathing cleaner air.

7. Check insulation of doors and windowsA gap all the way around this opening is like a having a whole that big in your wall. This area is overlooked in construction because there are so many different people working around it.

8. Install curtains AND keep them closed during the day
Curtains are an easy and stylish way to further separate your home and the outside world. They can block the extra UV coming in from heating up your air. They also work to keep your air away from the surface of the window where it can change temperatures. Look for energy saving curtains that block extra UVs.

9. Recycle
Okay, this doesn’t directly save you money but it costs a lot less to melt it down and reuse it than to dig it up from the earth and turn it into product. Plus, some places pay you to recycle metal.

10. Go smart
If possible, get outlets, lights, and appliances that let you control them and track their usage from your phone. No more forgetting when you left and being stuck with it on! This can also help you see where most your energy is going.