One of the biggest expenses of running your household is probably your electric or utility bill. There is no need to cringe every time the bill shows up in the mail or in your email inbox. There are seven very easy steps you can take to cut back your utility bills expenses and it doesn’t require you to live in the dark, sweat or freeze to death either.

Turn off items when not in use. It really is a common sense move, but it’s amazing how many people leave lights blazing and TVs blaring in rooms that nobody is even in. By turning off lights, computers, TVs and other electrical items that are not being used, you can cut at least $100 off your bill on an annual basis. Better yet, unplug items not in use, so they won’t draw energy (which happens even if they are turned off). When you replace appliance, buy energy efficient ones. Since they use less energy to run, it saves you money on your electric bill too.

Energy efficient lighting. Using conventional light bulbs causes your lights to suck up a great deal of energy. Changing to compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) or LEDs that use less energy and give off less heat, help you to save money along the way. Also use the natural light of the sun, when possible, rather than turning on lamps and overhead lights. Natural lighting is free!

Wash clothes in cold water. Clothes have to be washed, but washing in hot water is not necessary to kill germs. Think about how much money it’s costing you to fill up your entire washing machine with hot water for each load! Use an antibacterial detergent and wash your clothes in cold water instead. Save up to an additional $550 per year by installing an energy efficient washing machine. The second biggest energy sucker in your home is the clothes dryer. Line dry or hang dry your clothes instead and you can save in the neighborhood of $70 per year, plus you won’t have the added expense of buying a dryer in the first place.

BR>
Reduce heat producing activities. During the summer months, when things heat up outside, try to avoid heat producing activities such as showering, cooking and running the clothes dryer. These activities heat up the house and require your AC to work harder to cool the rooms in your home down. If you have to do any of these things during the hotter part of the day, turn ceiling and room fans on to help circulate the air and reduce the room temperature.

Let the dishwasher wash dishes. You can save up to another $70 per year by not rinsing your dishes before you wash them in the dishwasher. Why would you wash something and then place them in a machine that is supposed to wash them? It’s a little redundant, so avoid the redundancy and save money at the same time. Also, only run your dishwasher when it’s full.

Turn up the AC and turn down the heat. The AC can run up your bills in the summer and the heater can run it up in the winter. Set your thermostat at least two degrees higher (at least 78 degrees in the summer) and down in the winter (68 degrees). When nobody is home, turn the AC up to 82 and the heater down to 65. This will help it to kick on less and cost you less money. When you return home, it only takes a moment to cool the room down or heat it up again when you return it to its normal setting.

You can easily cut back spending on one of the biggest expenses of running your household– your electric or utility bill. Stop cringing and start saving. Abide by these seven energy saving tips and you’ll find extra money at the end of the month that you can spend on something else.

Back to Top