You want to reduce your household’s expenses, but you don’t want to sacrifice any of the comforts of home or stop using the things that you want and need. A great place to start is with your home’s energy bill. Here are some things that you can do bring down your monthly electric bill without having to compromise the things that you need.
Use a Panel Board
There are some hardwired fixtures in your home that can’t be unplugged and continuously draw energy. When it’s dark in your home at night, have you ever noticed that some lights tend to have a low pulsing flicker? This may be indicative of a continuous energy drain. Sometimes, shutting things off doesn’t mean that they’re not drawing energy. A panel board that helps regulate energy is a great way how to keep your home’s energy bill low. This equipment will stop continuously running charges while also preventing dangerous energy spikes and surges.
Keep Your AC Low
AC Systems are one of the biggest energy draws in your home. During the summer months, you’ve probably noticed that your electric bill increases dramatically. While you may be tempted to blast the AC in the summer, it will consume a ton of electricity. In Florida, where the summers are especially tropical, Florida Power & Light recommends using dehumidifiers to supplement or even replace air conditioners.
Regulate Your Hot Water Usage
Hot water usage is a frequently overlooked source of energy usage. Limiting the amount of hot water that you use per day can help you to use a lot less electricity.
Insulate Your Home from the Elements
Adding insulation can help you to use less heat in the winter and less air conditioning during the summer. The top of your home is particularly prone to losing heat and cool air in large open spaces. Insulation can help your indoor climate control efforts to be more effective while also using less energy.
Buy Energy Star Rated Appliances
If your home has old appliances like an old refrigerator or an old dishwasher, you may be surprised to learn how much energy these old appliances use. Replacing them can really help reduce your energy use. When you buy new appliances, look for an energy star seal. They’ll contain a tag displaying their approximate monthly or annual energy needs.
Use LED Lighting
LED lighting uses significantly less wattage than incandescent and even fluorescent lighting. Moreover, it creates a better quality of light that can improve the appearance and warmth of your home’s lighting. You don’t necessarily have to switch out your fixtures to accomplish this. Instead, you can swap out the incandescent bulbs in your current fixtures with LED bulbs. They cost a little bit more than incandescent lights, but they last significantly longer and will save you money on your monthly electric bill.
Turn Things Off When You’re Not Using Them
Perhaps one of the most noticeable sources of energy waste in your home is keeping lights and televisions on when you don’t need them. If you’re something, remember to turn it off. Get your whole family on board with this initiative and you can help to remind each other.
Unplug Items When You Leave Your Home
Some items need continuous power, even when they’re off. For example, microwaves have clocks and digital displays that consume power, your modem and router continuously use power, and even large appliances draw low levels of power at all times. Unplugging these items when you don’t need to use them or before you leave your house every day can help to cut energy costs.
When you make your home more energy efficient, you can reduce your electricity bill by a significant percentage. The amount you save may vary based on the size of your home and how many appliances you use in addition to how frequently you use them. In addition to saving money, you’re also doing your part to help the environment.
Author: Kevin Devoto
