20 Easy Ways To Lower Your Energy Bill

If you are looking to cut back on your expenses, saving money on your energy bill is a good place to start.

For most of us, a major part of our monthly budget goes to our electricity bill. But with a few simple hacks and minor changes to the way you use and maintain your appliances, you can drive down your electricity bill by as much as 25 percent. That is without having to invest money on green energy. Here are some practical and easy ways to lower your energy bill.

AC and Heating

If you live in a place where the weather is sunny all year round, your air conditioner will account for most of your bill. And if you live in the colder part of the country, then heat is what's driving your bill the most. Either way, how you use and take care of your unit will make it more efficient.

1. Keep your vents open

If your home has central air conditioning and or heat, check if your vents are all open. This may be commonsensical but sometimes, you assume that the vents are open because you never closed them. This can be true if you moved into a new apartment or rental place.

It is an old belief that closing vents will reduce energy consumption because it lessens the need to cool or heat a particular room. But actually, closing vents will raise your energy costs. Regardless of how many vents are open, the heater or AC will produce the same amount of air. Thus, it will only push the excess air to other places in your home. The added pressure from closing vents could, in the long run, cause air leaks in your system. This will make your unit to work harder. Which, in turn, can lead to costly operations and unnecessary repairs.

2. Use electric fans

Fans do not cool the air, they move the air so your house gets better airflow. When the air in your home circulates properly, it's easier to maintain an even temperature. This way, your air conditioning or the heating system won't have to work overtime. If you can afford it, install ceiling fans in the various rooms of your house. The more cost-efficient option would be to buy a stand-alone fan. They are relatively cheap and works just as fine as the ceiling fans.

Just remember that when it's hot, your fan should spin counter-clockwise to push the hot air upwards. And when it's cold, switch your fan to spin clockwise to trap the heat down. There is a switch on most fans to choose the direction for it to spin so refer to the features before purchasing.

3. Seal your house

According to Consumer Reports, sealing leaks can reduce your energy costs by 15 to 30 percent. Make sure your doors and windows are well-sealed to keep the cold (or hot) air where it should belong. Cracks, gaps, and bad seals allow air inside to seep out. Check your doors and windows for any drafty gaps. Caulk, sealant, and weather stripping are inexpensive solutions to plug any cracks, holes, or spots where drafts get in.

4. Fix leaky ductwork

If you have leaky air conditioning, heating, and ventilation ducts, fix it as soon as possible. This will dramatically improve the efficiency of your AC or heating unit.

5. Schedule regular HVAC maintenance

Having regular, yearly preventive maintenance is more cost-efficient than fixing leaks. Have your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) checked and cleaned once a year. This will help it run more efficiently and prolong its life span. As a bonus, you will also have cleaner air circulating in your house.

6. Change your air filters

Besides yearly regular HVAC maintenance, you can also keep your heating and AC running in peak condition by changing the filters. This is critical, especially if you live in a highly-traffic area. Dirty filters can restrict airflow, causing your HVAC to run longer and use more energy. It is advisable to clean your filters once a month which you can do on your own. Be sure to schedule this task on your phone calendar so you don't forget.

7. Make the most of your thermostat

If your thermostat is programmable, program it! Set your thermostat to run less when you are out of the house or sleeping. Most thermostat now has an energy-saving mode where it will run idle once it reached the set temperature. It is recommended to set your thermostat at 72 to 74 degrees in the summer and 70 to 72 degrees in the winter to be energy efficient.

Water

According to the Energy department, hot water is the second expense that eats up most of your electricity bill. Cutting back on your hot water usage can contribute greatly in lowering down your overall energy consumption.

8. Fix leaky faucets

That drip is not only annoying but wastes gallons of water. Fix it ASAP.

9. Shorten your shower

The average American showers for approximately eight minutes and uses about 30 gallons of water. If you like taking longer showers, a 10-minute shower will use up to 50 gallons of water and substantially more energy. If you cut short your shower time by a mere two minutes, that can save you 7.5 gallons of water every time you shower. Those numbers add up to a substantial saving after a month.

10. Replace your showerhead

To further reduce your water consumption when showering, replace your regular showerhead with a low-flow showerhead. Doing so can save you up to $50 per year in heating costs. When choosing a new showerhead, look for the one with a WaterSense label, which is certified to meet efficiency criteria set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

11. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water

You can cut your per load energy usage by 50 percent if you use warm or cold water when you do the laundry. According to LG Electronics, "heating the water in the wash drum accounts for about 90 percent of the energy your machine uses."

12. Use dryer balls or air dry your laundry

Toss dryer balls in your laundry to speed up drying time. Better yet, air-dry your laundry. You can set up a clothesline in your backyard or patio. If a clothesline is not an option due to lack of space, you can hang your clothes on a drying rack or shower rod.

13. Disable the 'heated dry' function of your dishwasher

Dishwashers need a lot of hot water as part of the cleaning process. But drying your dishes don't need heat to get the job done. If your dishwasher uses a heated dry function, you can disable it to save on energy. Especially if you are already using a rinsing agent. The heated dry method is to prevent hard water stains on your dishes. The rinsing agent does that for you when it is released later in the cycle. This makes it difficult for water to stick to your dishes so it doesn't get water spots.

Lighting

Lighting does not consume as much electricity compared to heating water and your HVAC system. However, your house uses lights every day for a variety of purposes. Swapping your bulbs can help add up to your savings.

14. Replace your bulbs with LED lights

Switching from traditional bulbs to LED lights when they burn out can help you save $75 a year. LED light bulbs use 90 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.

15. Install dimmer switches

Another option is to install dimmer lights. Dimmers let you control the brightness in a room depending on your needs. There are a variety of dimmable LED light bulbs that can fit the function of any room. This will help you set the mood while saving on your electricity bill.

16. Open your window treatment

Make the most of natural light so you don't need to switch on your lights. Opening your draperies, curtains, blinds, and window coverings will allow more sunlight to penetrate your home.

Other appliances and gadgets

17. Use smart power strips

Reducing your overall electricity consumption means turning off your appliances and gadgets when not in use. But when your house has tons of devices, shutting them off every time you use them can get tedious. The easiest solution is to plug them on a power strip.

Appliances like televisions, DVD players, stereos, computers, many kitchen appliances, and other appliances that use a remote, has a timer, or other settings never truly power off and can create phantom loads. Phantom loads are trickles of power usage from devices that are on idle or standby mode. By plugging your devices on a smart power strip, you get to cut off the energy current when you are not using your devices.

18. Buy energy-efficient appliances

If you are replacing new appliances or purchasing a new device, choose an energy-efficient model to get long-term savings. You know that your appliance is energy efficient when it bears the Energy Star label. This is especially true for devices that you use most often like your HVAC system, refrigerator, water heater, dishwasher, and tv.

19. Use your stovetop

Need to reheat food? Reheat it on your stovetop instead of using the microwave. If your dish requires baking, why not use a crockpot. If you have a barbecue pit, grilling your food can also help you save up on your electricity bill.

20. Keep your fridge and freezer full

Keeping your fridge and freezer full can save you money. Food acts as insulation that helps maintain temperature and lessens the amount of time that the fridge needs to run to stay cool. Also, avoid putting hot food in your fridge. Let it cool at room temperature before putting it inside so your unit won't have to work overtime to maintain the set temperature. Lastly, set your fridge to 38 degrees and your freezer to 5 degrees. This will maintain the freshness of your food without overworking your unit.