admin We’re always looking for tweaks to make in our budget to save extra money. You know—the kind that are actually easy to do and actually work. One of the easiest ways to save money is right there in your house. Yep, we’re talking about electricity. Sure, we need it to power our homes, but boy, do we hate having to pay for it. Here’s the good news: There are a ton of ways to save on your electric bill—it isn’t just a myth! It’s time for your savings go through the roof each month—not your electric bill. Check out these simple tips on how to lower your electric bill and still beat the heat this summer.
11 Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill
Turn off the lights.
Sounds simple, right? For a lot of families, forgetting to turn off the lights is already a hot topic of conversation (to put it lightly). But there’s good reason: Keeping the lights on when they’re not in use is a real drain on your electricity—and your budget. For every 40-watt lightbulb that runs for an hour, 0.04 kWh of energy is used up. So let’s say your electric company charges 10 cents per kWh of electricity. That means every hour the light is turned off, you’ll save BGN 0.004.1 That might not sound like a crazy savings, but if you switch off just five lights in your house for 10 hours a day, you’ll save BGN 6 a month on your electric bill right there. The more lights you switch off (and the higher wattage they are), the more you’ll save on the electric bill! So get in the habit of turning on the light only for the room you’re using right then. And if it’s sunny out, use that natural light to your advantage. Not only is it easy on the eyes, it’s free!
Change your lightbulbs
You rolled your eyes at your spouse when they brought home those new,
energy-saving lightbulbs. After all, a lightbulb is a lightbulb, right?
Wrong. Your partner in crime knows what they’re talking about. While
these bulbs will cost a bit more up front, you can save big bucks (over
time) just by switching out the lightbulbs in your home. Talk about
saving money the easy way! Next time you’re at your favorite home
improvement store, take a hard right turn down that lighting aisle and
stock up on compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes
(LEDs). After that, it’ll continue to save you money on your electric
bill each month. If you think that’s good news, check out those LEDs
too. Most LED lights use only 20–25% of the energy of those old
incandescent lights and last 15–25 times longer! Say what?
Check for air leaks
Ask yourself these questions when checking for air leaks: Are the
windows whistling? Can you hear air coming in from under the front door
on windy days? Do the doors actually seal shut when you close them? Is
the fireplace damper working? Hopefully, you discovered a few of these
easy-to-miss energy wasters when you did your energy audit. Listen, it
might sound lame, but keeping your windows, doors and appliances sealed
properly makes a big difference . . . especially in the peak heat of
summer. If you have doors and windows that aren’t sealed right, you’re
letting warm air in and that cool air out. And when you’ve got an air
leak in your home, you might as well have a leak in your wallet. Air
sealing your home is a cheap and easy money saver! Just pick up some
weather strips for your doors and windows. You’ll also need some caulk
to seal those leaky areas in your plumbing, air ducts and wiring. Buying
weather strips, caulk and a caulk gun will cost you less than BGN 15,
but it can save you up to 20% on your energy costs. Talk about a return
on investment!
Replace the air filter
We know, it’s kind of a drag to replace these things throughout the year. But guess what? It’s a simple fix that can beef up the life of your HVAC system and make it run more efficiently (that will save you money in the long run). So just bite the bullet and remember to swap out the air filter every three months—you’ll be glad you did.
Shut the door
You remember it well as a kid. You were having the best summer ever, racing in and out of the back door, playing with the neighbor kids (and leaving the door wide open). After a few times in and out, your mom would shout, “Were you born in a barn? Close the door!” Ah, sweet childhood memories. Your mom had a point. Keeping the outside doors open while the A/C unit—or furnace—is running is a bad idea. Not only are you letting that precious (and expensive) air escape, but you’re also making your unit run harder for longer. Just picture your Leva sailing out the door . . . right alongside your coveted cool air.
Program your thermostat
Did you know dialing down your thermostat by 7–10 degrees for eight
hours a day can help you save 10% on your electric bill each year? You
can do this the old fashioned way: Just change the thermostat when you
wake up and adjust it again before you go to sleep. It sounds like a
pain, sure. But hassle or not, there’s no denying the fact that it will
save you money on your electric bill. If you want to save your sanity
(and if it’s in the budget), you can buy a programmable or smart
thermostat. It’ll save you the hassle of remembering to turn the
temperature up or down morning and night, and they’re not that expensive
either (some start at just 20 BGN). If you’re tech obsessed, investing
in a smart thermostat could be the right move. These savvy devices allow
you to change the temperature of your home from your smart phone—simple
as that! And some devices even have a little something called
geofencing (fancy). Geofencing uses your smart phone’s location to track
when you’re home and adjusts your temperature automatically. This
definitely isn’t your grandma’s thermostat.
Don’t run your appliances unless they’re full
Yep. We’re talking about things likes your dishwasher, washing
machine and dryer. If your kid comes home with super dirty, smelly and
stained pants (you know the ones), you might be tempted to go ahead and
wash those (in your hazmat suit) on their own. Believe it or not,
though, one of the biggest money wasters is running your washing machine
for just a few pieces of clothing. The average washing machine uses 590
kWh, and the average dryer uses 769 kWh.That means each load of laundry
you wash and dry costs about 0,7 BGN. It’d be a shame to spend that
amount when you’re only washing a few socks and the shirt you want to
wear tomorrow. So wait until you have a full load of clothes in your
hamper before you declare it laundry day. And when it is time to toss a
load in the wash, there are two super simple ways to cut back on the
amount of energy you use up: using less water (fewer loads) and using
cold or warm water. When it comes to the dryer, the rules are the same.
Don’t use the dryer on anything but a full load, make sure not to
overdry the clothes, and try to dry similar items at the same time.
There’s nothing more obnoxious than spending two hours drying your
towels and T-shirts only to find out your towels aren’t even close to
dry. Pro tip: Use the automatic cycle instead of any timed settings to
make sure those moisture sensors do their job.
Check phantom energy
No, we’re not talking about ghosts here. We’re talking about phantom
energy—a little something that happens when appliances use up energy
even when they’re turned off! Yep, start unplugging those devices and
appliances when you’re not using them. You’ll be surprised by how much
money you save on your electric bill just by pulling the plug. Phantom
energy makes up 23% of a household’s electricity use and costs the
average family up to $165 per year on their electric bill—for nothing.
Now that’s scary.
Adjust your refrigerator
This is another one of the small fixes that makes a big impact. Take a
look at your settings on the refrigerator. A good rule of thumb is to
keep your fridge set at about 35–38 degrees. Adjusting the settings like
this will keep your food fresh but will make sure your unit isn’t
zapping extra energy by working overtime to keep everything too cold.
Keep your freezer full
Who knew all those frozen veggies and meats you stockpiled during the
pandemic would come in handy for saving on your electric bill. It’s
true—having a full freezer can actually help insulate your whole
appliance. And guess what? If the freezer is already cold (and staying
that way), then it doesn’t have to use up precious energy to keep your
frozen goods, well, frozen.
Lower the hot water heater temperature
Most people don’t ever stop and wonder if their water temperature is
too high. You turn on the tap, the warm water comes out, and you go on
about your business as usual. But if your water temperature is set too
high, you could be wasting BGN 36–61 each year. Setting the water heater
to 140 degrees should be okay, but keep in mind sometimes it could give
you scalding hot water too. On the other hand, setting it too low to
120 degrees can mess with your dishwasher’s bacteria-killing ways. Play
around with the temperature settings and see what works for you.