Your electricity bill can give you sleepless nights, but this does not have to be the case. You can change a few things around your home to make some savings on electrical bills. The following are five easy ways you can save, so have a look at them.
Change Your Light Bulbs
This is probably the simplest way of bringing your electricity costs down. Start by replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) with a good energy star rating. Although CFL bulbs cost more than regular incandescent bulbs, they last up to 10 times longer and use less electricity to power up. This means that in the long run, they are a lot more efficient and durable.
Adjust Your Water Heater Temperature
Have you ever wondered if your hot water is a bit too hot? By default, most water heaters are set at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Reducing it to 120 degrees Fahrenheit can reduce your water heating costs by 10% and save you a substantial amount of money in the long run. Also, remember to set your water heater to the lowest possible setting whenever you’re not home for a few days. Drain and clean your water heater often and remove all the sediments that have accumulated over time as it will take precious energy for the heater to heat past the settled sediment before heating your water. You can save between $5,000 and $10,000 annually in energy costs by regularly cleaning your heat exchanger, so it’s something worth doing.
Use Motion Detector Lights
Motion sensors on hallway lights and outdoors on porch lights or major security lights can reduce your electricity bills by a lot. These lights will only turn on when there is any motion detected, making them quite efficient as they remain off until they are needed. They also provide an extra layer of security as they can spook an intruder. As the light suddenly turns on, any person with ill motives will be startled and probably abandon their mission.
These lights can also be fitted with smart switches that activate after dark and switch off during the day, saving you energy that would have been wasted if you forgot to turn them off.
Keep Your Refrigerator Full
A lot of energy is lost when kitchen appliances are running while they are not fully packed. Always keep your refrigerator filled to capacity to prevent it from gaining heat faster and idling less. When the fridge is not full, it does not run at optimum levels and it ends up becoming very inefficient, using up more energy than necessary. This applies to other appliances around the home, like deep freezers, washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers, and more. Avoid operating them while they’re not at full capacity and you will notice substantial savings in your energy bills.
Check for Air Leaks
Air leaks through gaps in the windows, attic, or any other outlet can cause heat loss and in turn, cost a lot of money. If you live in a homemade of concrete, as over 70% of the world does, there can be cracks in your foundation as well that can cause air leaks.
Find and seal off all the air leaks before the cold weather sets in, so that you need to turn on lower heat to keep the house warm. Making your windows air-tight will result in less energy needed when you power up the heating system and save you money. Consider getting aluminum blinds as well, because they’re one of the lowest maintenance and most durable options for window treatments. After caulking the windows, find leaks in the attic and seal them off to prevent heat from escaping into the attic and eventually through the roof, cooling the rooms below.
Follow the tips outlined above to improve your energy expenditure. After a few months, you will become efficient at saving energy and you will notice a steady decline in your electrical bills.
