10 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Electric Bill

As energy costs in the world continue to rise, it becomes imperative that you do whatever you can to keep your hard-earned money out of the hands of your electric supplier. You can hybrid your system with solar power. Beside that here are 10 common ways to lower your electric bill.

1. Ditch the Screen savers

The screensaver has been a part of computer technology for decades (even some smartphones have them now). It has been known as a way to save power without turning your computer off, but thanks to the fact that your computer still runs background operations and your screen is still lit while the screensaver is in use, you save almost no power. Instead, set your computer to hibernate or simply turn it off.

2. Automate your HVAC

Accounting for anywhere between a third and half of your total energy use, your HVAC system is by far the largest single energy consumer in your home; running it all day will transfer a lot of your money from your pockets to those of your electric supplier. Fortunately, you don’t have to keep it running in order to maintain an optimal temperature whenever you are home.

Install an automated or remote controlled thermostat so thatyour HVAC can be off when you aren’t home. There’s no sense in heating or cooling an empty home!

3. Turn up the Heat in your Fridge

Most refrigerators allow you to set the temperature to the edge of freezing; many freezers allow you to chill food and drinks at sub-zero temperatures. Not only is this unnecessary, but it will cost you extra money. Instead of 36 Fahrenheit degrees, set your fridge to 38-40 degrees; instead of zero or lower, set your freezer to 5-7 degrees.

4. Turn Lights off

Your lights consume energy whenever they are on. All together, your lights add up to be one of the largest energy consumers in your home. You can greatly mitigate this by simply turning then off whenever they aren’t in use.

5. Insulate

Home insulation is the best passive way to reduce your heating and cooling energy costs. Insulation keeps your indoor heat in and the outdoor heat out, thereby negating its ability to affect your home’s temperature. This makes your HVAC system’s job much easier.

6. Invest in—and use—Power Strips

Most electric suppliers will recommend that you get surge protectors to protect your devices from electrical bursts caused by sudden power surges. They can also serve to reduce your energy bill. Most devices (televisions, microwaves, cell phone chargers, laptop chargers, etc) continue to consume power even when they are not in use. To stop this from happening, plug everything into power strips; whenever you leave a room, simply flip the switch off.

7. Air Dry more clothes and dishes

A dryer is another appliance that will transfer a lot of your money to your electric supplier. Unless you have an immediate need for specific articles of clothing or dishes, simply hang them on a rack instead of using the dryer. It doesn’t take very long and it costs you nothing.

8. Upgrade your Light Bulbs

As we mentioned earlier light bulbs can cost you a lot of money. This is due in part to the fact that traditional incandescent bulbs are horribly inefficient (they waste 90 percent of the energy they use). Modern compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) or LEDs are much more efficient, and they cost about the same.

9. Do certain things at Night

Even if you have a fixed rate plan, it still varies. This is due to the fact that there is a disparity between peak and off peak electricity rates. Peak hours, which are 5-7 pm on weekdays during this time of year, can easily be avoided by doing things like washing clothes and dishes at night and on weekends.

10. Fix your Roof

Your roof absorbs a lot of sunlight, which in turn heats your home. While this effect is negligible during the winter, it is intense during the summer. This puts a strain on your HVAC system, which causes you to pay your electric supplier more. You can mitigate this effect by investing in reflective shingles, or simply whitewashing your roof.