By: Jim Pullman
About the Author:
Jim Pulman has extensive knowledge and experience in Home Building, Construction, and Design. He writes articles in his free time and partners with content creators to share his expertise with the online community.
Saving money on utilities might seem difficult because doing so might cut into luxuries. However, if you are one of the many people who want to save money on electricity, you will be able to do so without impacting your comfort.
1. Unplug
Some appliances continue to use electricity even when they are not being used. Coffee makers, for instance, often have a clock on the control panel. Similarly, your microwave oven will also have a clock. If you have an updated or smart refrigerator, it will likely have a clock on it. In these situations, you can unplug small appliances and keep the larger ones on. You certainly do not need three clocks in one room, and you do not want to be paying for the incremental bits of electricity to keep such things powered.
2. Watch your usage
Many electric companies allow you to log into an online dashboard and see your monthly usage. If you monitor your electricity usage, you can identify and fix anomalies and save money over the course of the month. Anomalies are typically electricity hogs. Electricity hogs eat up electricity, and they can be old freezers or redundant smart appliances. Without monitoring your usage, you might not ever notice wasteful appliances. One important thing to note is that monitoring your actual usage can let you know if you need to call a professional to locate the source of any potential electrical drains. When this happens, for instance, searching online for “best electricians Brisbane” might be the easiest and most economic way to discover a problem with your primary electric box.
3. Use cooling efficiently
During the summer, you can close the doors and cool only the area you occupy for the day. Similarly, you can partially close the vents in unused rooms. Doing so will ensure that most of the energy you use during hot months goes toward cooling only those rooms you frequent the most.
Another way to be more efficient is to simply do a manual inspection of your central unit or window air conditioner. For instance, if the vents around your air conditioner become jammed with stuff blown in by the wind, the reduced amount of air will make your air conditioner struggle to keep your home cool, costing you money.
4. Economize
As noted above, energy hogs come in a variety of forms. Refrigerators more than 10 years old will keep all your food cold, but they will do so at twice or three times the price. Similarly, freezers and older air conditioners can use a lot of energy. Finally, older ovens, washers, and dryers can add a hundred dollars or more to your annual bills. Updating these appliances can improve your electric usage permanently.
5. No more auto
When you go to work in the morning or whenever you leave the house for the day, you should set your air conditioner to manual. Doing so will ensure it does not run unattended when no one is home to benefit from cooler air.
6. Five-degree rule
Raising your air conditioner setting from, say, 68 degrees to 73 degrees can save a lot of money over the course of the month. Additionally, since 73 degrees is approximately the same temperature as a cool day, you will not even notice the difference.
Similarly, during the winter months, if you have an electric heater, you can turn down the heater from, say, 73 degrees to 68 degrees. Doing so will allow you to save money on electric while not inconveniencing yourself or your family.
7. Economic lighting
Opening the curtains allows your house to benefit from natural light, which allows you to leave the light bulbs off during the day. Another way to economize is to upgrade old light bulbs. When you buy new bulbs, you can buy low-watt bulbs for specific rooms that do not need to be brightly lit. Because light bulbs are relatively inexpensive, you might not save a lot of money on a day-to-day basis, but you can save a considerable amount over the course of the year.
Finally, using a nightlight in the bathroom can help reduce costs because a nightlight will allow you to see while not requiring you to turn on the overhead lights. Because bathrooms usually have two or more bulbs, using a nightlight can be a significant yet easy way to save on electricity.