What are the best ways to reduce your electricity bill?
Lately, I’m concerned because our eletricity bill has gone up by $110 in the last three months. We have been opening the same number of lights at night. We are hardly at home during the day on weekdays so our air conditioner is usually off nearly the whole day, the appliances, computer, consoles, and TV are hardly used. What would be the (other) best ways to reduce the electricity bill other than unplugging certain appliances? I don’t want to spend extra on electricity when I’ve haven’t had bought anything new that consumes a lot of electricity.
With our present income, and the cost of electricity where I live, it’s already high for us.
Those little red or green lights that show an appliance is receiving electricity even when they are off are costing you money. We turn everything possible off and pull it from the wall and turn off at the powerpoint now and it has saved us A LOT. I cannot tell you exactly how much because our last bill was a winter bill and this was a warmer weather bill but the electricity graph showed that our use definitely went down by a lot and the charge for the power went up. WIth that, our bill was nearly $200 less for the quarter.
Another change to this was also that we made sure the hot water heater was on the lowest off-peak rate we could get. Get solar hot water if you can afford it. It is so much better in the long run. Shower in daylight if you can so you are using the water at a time of day where it won’t be as costly to use and where you may not need artificial light. If you use a gym, a pool or somewhere else they have shower facilities, consider using theirs. When I have hydrotherapy, or Aqua Aerobics when I was able to participate, I scheduled hair washing with when I had appointments so I am in the shower less time at home.
Turn off your PC or at least your monitor and printer when not using it – it uses a lot even when in idle mode.
Change to energy saving light globes even if it is one at a time. The cost will be more than worth it. Use fluorescent where possible and use the lowest wattage that you need. These also appear brighter.
Use candles to give a pleasant light where possible. Home made soy candles or bees wax are lovely and save using chemical air fresheners as well.
Use blankets to warm yourselves and fans to cool yourselves. Ceiling fans are best. If you need to use the air conditioner, use it at recommended settings provided by your energy retailer. We are supposed to have cooling set at 24 degrees Celsius in summer. Once the room has reached a comfortable level, turn it off. Use rubber backed or block out curtains where possible to keep temperatures more comfortable. Insulation is always a good choice as well where possible.
If you have lights that have two globes – consider only putting in one.
When not using appliances, turn off at the power. This is all items – kettle, washing machine etc.
Use a crock pot to cook your roasts, casseroles and desserts in as well as soups, and so many other dishes. Not only will they be delicious and entice your family to eat rather than take out, they are cost effective in power consumption and you can use cheaper cuts of meat.
Avoid using the oven unless it is used to capacity. Most times it can be turned off before the cooking is complete and will continue to cook in the heat – same goes for hot plates. When using hot plates, make sure to use the correct size pan for the element so it does not let heat escape.
Keep fridge and freezer doors open for the minimum amount of time required.
Barbecues are a fun and relaxed way of eating and you can often do this at a park for no cost.
When using the washing machine – put on a full load or save it til next time if possible – saves water as well.
This also applies to a dishwasher. If you just have a few things, consider washing by hand.
Don’t use a clothes dryer unnecessarily. If you hang on a line to dry outdoors, you will save power and your clothes will absorb the goodness of the sun and smell fresher for it. If you hang your items straight out from a finished load and fold them as you bring them in and put straight away, you will also get less ironing. An iron is one of the most expensive appliances to run. Wash and wear clothes also help reduce ironing.
Only turn on outdoor lights as needed and remember to turn them off as soon as people arrive or leave. There is no need to have them on while they are there and for ages before they arrive if you know when to expect them.
When cooking or baking, do extra and freeze so that you can just reheat.
I hope some of this helps.
How To Reduce Electricity Bill
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