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As COVID-19 rocks the world’s economy, many people are looking for ways to save money. Jobs are being cut and the economy is in shambles, forcing people to get a little creative in ways to make their finances work. One area that people may look to save on is utilities, particularly their electric bill. There are lots of ways one can cut some corners when it comes to electricity, saving lots of money in the long run. So how exactly can you shrink your electric bill and allow funds to move towards other areas of your life? Here are ten ways to save money on your electric bill.
Get New Appliances
The first thing that you should do in order to lower your electric bill is to get some new and improved appliances. At first you might think this suggestion is counterintuitive, as spending lots of money on new appliances is the opposite of saving money. However, new appliances are actually much more efficient than older ones. As a result, these appliances use much less energy, potentially saving you lots on your energy bill. Over time these efficient appliances will more than pay for themselves through saving you on your energy bill.
Seal Windows and Doors
Something that can be a huge factor in how much electricity you’re using in your home is your windows and doors. Tiny cracks in your windows and doors can cause air to seep out, making heating and cooling your home less efficient. You should routinely inspect your windows and doors, sealing up cracks and openings that could potentially let air out. If your windows and doors are in too bad of shape, then it may be time to dip into the bank and come up with new windows and doors funding. You might not think that spending all that time and money on fixing up your doors and windows will actually make your home much more energy efficient, but it will be a huge help in the long run.
Get a Programmable Thermostat
Another great way to save energy is by installing a programmable thermostat in your home. When you are away from home, you don’t want to be spending money heating or cooling your home. However, you also don’t want to come home to a house that’s either freezing cold or blistering hot. Thankfully, getting a programmable thermostat gives you the best of both worlds. With a programmable thermostat you are able to leave your home at a lukewarm temperature while you’re away. When you come back, your house won’t be unbearably hot or cold, and will take a limited amount of time to get to the desired temperature. As a result, a programmable thermostat can save you money on energy, and make your home more comfortable at the same time.
Fix Insulation
A major area of your energy bill goes towards heating and cooling your home. Ensuring your home is the right temperature is extremely important, so there’s really no way to cut back. One thing you can do however, is improve its efficiency. If your home has poor insulation, then properly heating or cooling your home can be quite difficult. Although redoing and fixing your home’s insulation can be quite costly and time consuming, it could go a long way in helping you lower your energy bill.
Use Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
Another great way to save money on electricity is to use light bulbs that are much more energy efficient. Some lightbulbs are extremely inefficient, costing you lots of money to run. More efficient light bulbs might be more expensive to purchase, but they will cost much less energy. Due to this, you should purchase energy efficient light bulbs even though they initially cost more, because in the end you’ll end up saving more off of your energy bill.
Avoid Phantom Energy
One thing that many people fail to account for in their energy bill is phantom energy. Phantom energy is when devices and chargers are plugged into an outlet and using energy, even though they aren’t being used. Phantom energy may only be a small amount of energy, but when you leave multiple unused devices plugged in over the course of a month then it can really add up. You should ensure that all of your devices and chargers are unplugged when they are unused. Alternatively, you can plug them into a power strip and simply turn the strip off. Phantom energy can really add up over time, so it’s important that you mitigate its effect as much as possible.
Install Dimmers
There are some times where you need to use a light in a room, but a bright light is not needed. For most rooms, you have no option other than to turn the light on fully and waste electricity when it’s not needed. Thankfully, installing a dimmer can provide you with other options. With a dimmer, you can turn your light on and then dim it to a lower setting, giving you just enough light and not wasting any electricity in the process.
Use Window Coverings and Curtains
During the summer, temperatures can get quite hot, often causing you to blast your air conditioner in order to cool things down. Running your air conditioner often can cause your electric bill to be quite high, so you may want to look into alternative methods to help cool your home down. One of the best ways to do this is to take advantage of window coverings and curtains. Using these to block out sunlight can go a long way in helping your home cool off, making it much easier to turn the air conditioner off on cooler days. If you want to use less energy by cutting A/C usage, then you should take advantage of window coverings and curtains.
Turn Unused Lights and Appliances Off
A horrible habit that people have is leaving lights and other appliances on when no one is using them. As a result, lots of electricity uses power lights and devices that absolutely no one is using at all. Things like this are a complete waste, as you are adding money to your electric bill and getting zero benefit out of it. If this is a habit that you or people you live with have, then you should work towards eliminating it and saving some money off of your electric bill.
Change Your Habits
For many people their high electric bill directly correlates with their lifestyle. These people are constantly watching T.V or playing video games, activities that use large amounts of electricity. Although there’s certainly nothing wrong with unwinding with your favorite show or video game, overly indulging can lead to some problems. Not only are there health problems associate with these habits, but the large amount of electricity used will cause your electric bill to spike. If you’re someone who uses a large amount of electricity, then perhaps it’s time to change up your lifestyle to lessen your electric bill.