A big chunk of your family budget goes to your monthly electricity bills. By doing small adjustments and simple tweaks on your energy usage, you can save hundreds of dollars every year. Here are some ways to lower your next bill:
1. Check for HVAC problems.
A large percentage of your energy bill comes from heating your house during winter and cooling it in the summer. An inefficient HVAC system, especially the older ones, uses higher energy to keep your home adequately cooled or heated. Additionally, some problems like a dirty air filter, loose segments, shoddy ductwork, and leaks mean that your equipment needs more energy to work harder.
If you notice unusually high bills, consider calling an HVAC contractor in Utah so that they can inspect your HVAC equipment and make the needed adjustments or repair. However, you might need a replacement when preventive maintenance is no longer sufficient. When buying new equipment, it’s best to choose the model with the highest efficiency rating. This can be a costly investment initially, but you can recover the costs in the long run.
2. Use the thermostat efficiently.
Adjusting your thermostat is an easy fix. You’ll be surprised that moving it by just a few degrees can make a huge difference in your monthly energy bill. Your thermostat settings should change with the seasons. As a rule, you should turn it up during summer and dial it down in colder seasons. This is to lessen the workload of your furnace and air conditioning and prevent your energy bill from rising.
During the colder months, it’s tempting to raise the thermostat to fight the chill. But if you want to save energy, its best to turn down the temperature by two degrees and make yourself cozy by wearing a sweater and using extra blankets. When you’re at home during winter, it is best to set the thermostat to 68F and lower the temperature when you leave or sleep.
The Department of Energy says that turning down the temperature by 10-15 degrees when you’re not in the house can result in 5%-15% savings on your annual heating bill. During summer days, turn up the thermostat to 78F and adjust it to 88F when you are away. By doing this regularly, you can save around $83 every year.
3. Unplug
Most electronics and home appliances use vampire energy or stand by power. Left unplugged, they consume electricity even when they are switched off. These include televisions, cable boxes, laptop cords, phone chargers, microwaves, coffee makers, and a lot more. Unplugging everything can be troublesome, so consider grouping these energy vampires and plug them in a power strip with switches that can turn them on/off quickly.
You can also use smart plugs so that you can control your energy use remotely. These plugs come with an app in your smart device, making it easy for you to turn off appliances and electronics even if you’re not home.
By making these small changes in your home and conducting an energy audit, you can have bigger year-round savings on your electricity bill.
