I used to absolutely dread receiving my electric bill. The total was always frightfully higher than I’d imagined. However, a few basic household habit changes, and today I look forward to seeing how much lower my electricity bill is each and every month.
If you’re one of the millions of U.S. households who still fear receiving that soaring electric bill in the mail; you might want to do yourself and your wallet a big favor. Here are five tricks to help reduce your monthly electrical usage at home…
1. Let the sunshine in
I work from home, so you’d imagine my electrical bills would be higher from having my lights on all day long. But, surprisingly their not! Why? Because when it’s sunny outside, I make a point of turning off all the interior lights and I let Mother Nature shine her light on me.
The sunlight not only keeps my house warmer in the winter, with the blinds up instead of closed, I use less lighting—drastically lowering my electric bill—because I’m using less artificial sources.
2. Unplug appliances not in use
That coffee maker, the television, laptop, stereo, and that cell phone charger that stays plugged in constantly—all of these appliances are sucking phantom energy even when they’re not in use. Phantom power (or vampire power) will continue to drain for that computer or game system unless you unplug them or get a power strip that you can flick easily to off.
3. Let Mother Nature dry your laundry
Clothes dryers suck up a great deal of electricity—especially if you do more than one load a week. Instead, save yourself the money and your dryer the work by air drying your laundry. On a nice day, you can quickly dry laundry on a clothesline outside (it’ll smell heavenly) and during winter you can hang in on a clothes tree to air dry inside. Believe me; it will save you hundreds of dollars a year on your electric bill.
4. Only heat often-used rooms
If you have electric heat like my house does, having the heat cranked will ensure your rooms are warm. However, do you really need to heat that guest room when no one has used it for months? I make a point of closing off the vents in rooms I don’t use, that way the heat is designated to those rooms I use frequently and I can ensure the environment is always toasty.
I do keep the temperature a little lower in the winter and also just urge my kids and husband to throw on an extra sweater or watch television snuggled under a blanket. It’s much cozier any way!
5. Wash your clothes in cold water
Heating your water for a load of laundry is really pricy. Especially considering the colors in your clothes and blankets will stay brighter for much longer if you wash them in cold water. A shower is one thing, but your sweaters and sheets won’t cringe from a cleaning in cold temperatures.
Speak Your Mind