You have little control over what your electricity provider charges you for your consumption. You also don’t have control over your water provider’s fees. But what you can control is how much you consume.
Reducing and rightful consumption of these resources can help you save. You could be paying hundreds of dollars every month to fulfill your duty as a subscriber, but part of the money you pay them can be used on other aspects of your home life.
To help you spend less on your monthly utility bills, we compiled six tips you can follow without sacrificing too much of your comfort:
1. Use light bulbs that are energy efficient.
When you use light bulbs that are energy efficient such as compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), you don’t only save up because you consume less. Still, you also help eradicate light pollution while making the most out of the light emitted by your bulbs.
Another thing to consider when using CFLs is that they should be certified to consume only 30 percent of what traditional incandescent light bulbs consume. Doing the switch from a traditional light bulb to a CFL can help you save between $30 to $80. Depending on use.
The switch should begin with your most-used lighting artifacts. You’ll also notice that CFLs live longer than traditional light bulbs. That’s another way of saving for you.
2. Use a programmable thermostat.
If you notice that your electric and gas utility bills are taking a huge chunk of your monthly income, you should heavily consider using a programmable thermostat in your home. Having the ability to set the temperature based on your comfort levels can help shave a few dollars off your monthly utilities.
3. Install better window covers.
If you experience cold winters, you can reduce using your home’s heater to warm up your space. You can do this by making use of the sunlight that streams through your windows during a sunny day. The sun’s warm rays can help your home stay at a good temperature without conserving energy.
You can use plastic window films to cover your window to prevent cold air from seeping into your home during extreme winter nights. Decreasing the need for more heating. Clear window films aren’t pricey. You can apply them without much help.
When it’s summer, reduce your home’s temperature by keeping your window blinds shut when you’re not home. It helps decrease the heat from the sun’s light streaming through your windows. Doing this will lessen the cooling you need.
4. Make use of low-flow fixtures.
Low-flow fixtures are used in plumbing. They use far less water than conventional fixtures because their structure allows for higher pressure using less water.
These fixtures can be faucets, showerheads, urinals, or toilets. Using them will help your water consumption decrease by not less than 20 percent compared to conventional flow fixtures in your plumbing system.
5. Use your appliances smartly.
As most appliances at home are required to work to live a comfortable life, it’s not easy to find ways to make them work to help reduce the bills. But it’s possible. For one, you can reduce the energy consumption your dishwasher requires by avoiding pre-rinse and using air dry instead of heat dry. That’s less water and electricity consumption.
Using your washing machine smartly can be through waiting for your dirty laundry load to fill up before washing. This saves you time, water, and electricity consumption. Using cold or warm water instead of hot also helps, because most of a washing machine’s power requirement is increased by heating water for the wash.
The lint trap in your clothes dryer is another electricity hog. A filled-up lint trap will require the dryer to consume more energy to dry clothes. Regularly cleaning your lint trap will ensure good airflow and lessen the time needed to dry clothes.
Another way to save is to hang your clothes and let them air dry. A drying rack won’t cost you as much as a dryer would.
6. Unplug your electronics when they’re not in use.
This tip has been around for a long time, but most people seem to overlook its importance and helpfulness. You should keep in mind that electronics still consume energy when they’re not in use but are plugged in.
Make sure to unplug them when you go out and won’t be using them. To reduce the hassle of having to plug and unplug multiple devices, you can use a power strip to switch on and off as needed.
