Everyone wants to save money, and your electric bill is a great place to start. If you’re wanting to cut costs on your home or business’ electricity, check out these tips – some common, some not so common, but all guaranteed to save you some cash!
- Turn off the lights! When you leave a room, if you’re not coming right back, hit the switch. There aren’t too many reasons to keep the lights on in an empty room.
- Wash laundry in cold water. Using cold water to wash your clothes can save you $152 per year! Speaking of washing clothes…
- Hang clothes to dry. Back in the good ol’ days, people hung clothes out on clotheslines to dry. Some people still do to live minimally, but it’s not just a trend: it’s a great way to save some pennies. You can buy a clothesline like this one for warmer months, and a clothing rod (like this one) for inside your laundry room in the colder months.
- Unplug electronics and small appliances when you’re not using them. This is another common piece of advice, but it’s a good one. Phone chargers, video game consoles, coffee pots, toaster ovens…all of these things suck up electricity when plugged in, even if they’re not being used. In fact, studies show that putting your computer on standby can save up to $75 a year!
- Use natural light. This one’s self-explanatory. During the day, open those blinds and draw those curtains!
- Invest in programmable thermostat. Programmable thermostats like this are great for regulating the temperature in your home, and are especially great for when you’re sleeping or away.
- Switch to LED lightbulbs. LED lightbulbs are a great addition to any home and to those who want to save money on electricity, as each bulb has an average lifespan of 25,000 hours. When you consider that one year only has about 8,765 hours…well, you get the idea!
- Install ceiling fans. If your home doesn’t already have them, consider getting a ceiling fan or two. Ceiling fans help circulate the air in your home and make it so that the air conditioner doesn’t have to do as much work.
- Change air filters regularly. Every 30 days is a good idea.
- Upgrade to Energy Star model appliances. Especially if your larger appliances are over 10 years old, you may want to consider to these models which use much less energy than non-Energy Star models.
These are just some of the great tips that can help you save hundreds of dollars a year on your electric bill. Contact Magic Valley Electric if you have any other questions concerning saving money on your electricity.
