When dark mode is more than a setting on your phone, you have to get creative with saving money on your electric bill. Whether you’re a renter or homeowner, anyone can use this information to get started saving today. Check out these steps on how you can lower your monthly energy bill.
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10 Ways to Lower Your Energy Bill
Rising energy costs can take up a large amount of your household budget. But, a few small steps can mean a big difference for your pockets and the environment. Most of these tips are free. Think they won’t work? Try them. Then, watch your savings add up and your bills go down.
1. Buy a programmable thermostat
How does almost $200 a year in savings sound? If you install a programmable thermostat, those savings are a start for lowering how much you spend a month on your energy bill. These smart devices can monitor ideal temperatures for peak times - like when you’re away during the day at work or at night when you’re asleep. While the Department of Energy suggests 78 degrees as an ideal setting, this handy device can help you decide what temperature is best for you.
2. Use your ceiling fans
If you don’t have ceiling fans, get them now. (Trust us on this one.) You’d be surprised how cool your room will get by using a ceiling fan only. Keep your blinds drawn, too, and the cool air will stay in. (That’s where it should be, right?) They use less energy than your A/C, and you keep the difference, in your pocket. Keep in mind, there is no need to run the fans when you’re not in the room, so turn them off when you’re headed out.
3. Don’t heat (or cool) an empty house
If you don’t have a smart thermostat, don’t worry. You can still keep it old school and save money with your manual thermostat. All you have to do is remember to adjust the thermostat when you’re at home, then again when you leave. A small difference of 6 to 8 degrees, depending on the season, will help.
4. Check your light bulbs
Turn the light on extra savings with your choice of bulbs. When it’s time to replace your old incandescent light bulbs, try new LED bulbs instead. They use almost 80 percent less energy than the regular bulbs. It’s an easy fix that will save you money.
5. Find air leaks, then fix them
Air leaks can let out the cool air from your A/C or fail to keep the warm air in during winter. Either way, they’re something you want to handle quickly. (Your money is going out the window. Literally.) Some common areas to check around are your doors and windows. If you feel a draft in your house, then chances are high that a duct leak is the problem. You can check for these leaks for yourself or hire a professional to do it for you.
6. Spend less time in the shower
One small step that will have a big impact is to cut down your shower time and switch out your shower head. An eco-friendly shower head typically costs you less than $20 to buy but can save you up to $145 a year according to the EnergyStar.gov website. You save twice - on your water bill and electric bill. Your electric bill is affected because the delivering, treating, and heating of the hot water is very energy intensive. So, the longer you take a hot shower, the more energy you’re using. Shorter showers mean less water used, and more money in your pocket.
7. Get a smart power strip
Here’s a smart way to count your coins. Take a look at getting a smart power strip. We leave a lot of electronics plugged in even when we’re not using them. (See that phone charger that’s plugged in now? The one that you aren’t using.) We may not be using them, but they’re still using power. And costing us in the process. Smart power strips take the guesswork out of it all. You should keep the power strips turned off until you need them.
8. Lock in a better rate
Get the best rate available to you. Your energy plan makes all of the difference. Whether it’s a fixed or variable rate plan, your energy company may offer a variety of options you can choose to best fit you and your lifestyle.
9. Do an energy audit
Here’s a more formal way to dot your i’s and cross all of your t’s to make sure you’re saving the most money that you can. You can do a home energy audit. Most energy companies will do a free audit for you or you can DIY it. Check out the checklist to get started on it yourself.
10. Change your A/C filter
It’s recommended that you change your A/C filter monthly. The more you change it, the less hard your A/C has to work to keep things cool. That also means less maintenance for your HVAC system. And that’s always a good thing.
You don’t need to wait to make a lot of these changes. These tips can help you starting today with saving money on your electric bill. What are you going to do with the extra money? Check out our optional Savings Account with 3.00% APY3
where you can let your savings do the work for you.
