From heating and cooling to water to power and lights—energy bills have a lot riding on them. With energy powering so many different home essentials, these bills can get costly.
Keeping down the cost of your utilities can help you save hundreds of dollars each year. And the good news is, lowering the cost of your energy bills doesn’t require drastic measures.
Making a few simple changes around your home can help you effectively cut energy costs. Here are 10 easy ways you can tweak your energy usage to save money:
Check seals on doors, windows and appliances
Make sure all your doors and windows are sealed to keep cold air where it should be. The same goes for your refrigerator or freezer. Improper sealing allows energy to sneak out. It could also allow cold or warm air to sneak into the house—increasing the heating or cooling bill.
Monitor your thermostat
Don’t allow your thermostat to do extra work when you’re not around. Setting your thermostat back 10 degrees or so while you’re asleep, at work, or away can be super effective in lowering your heating or cooling bill.
Adjust your fridge and freezer temperature
You can cut back big on energy costs by setting your fridge temperature to 38 degrees and your freezer between 0-5 degrees. Your appliances won’t need to work as hard to maintain the temperature and food will still stay fresh.
Cut back on shower time
Taking shorter showers can help you save on your water bill. In fact, cutting back just two minutes can save five gallons of water.
Get a new showerhead
Did you know an ineffective shower head could be wasting water? Getting an efficient showerhead—one that is approved by the EPA—can save you thousands of gallons of water usage each year.
Don’t wash your clothes in hot water
Using cold or warm water for each load of laundry can cut your laundry’s energy usage in half.
Fix any leaky faucets
Not only is the drip of a leaky faucet annoying—it’s wasting gallons of water. Fixing that leaky faucet will help you cut back on your water bill.
Invest in energy efficient appliances
If it’s time for a new washer, dishwasher, refrigerator or water heater, invest in an appliance that’s energy efficient. An energy efficient model can lead to real long-term savings. For example, a dishwasher with an Energy Star label uses 3.5 gallons of water or less per cycle than a traditional dishwasher. This can lead to real cost cutting on utility bills in the long run.
Switch out your lightbulbs
Save big on your electric bill by swapping out your lightbulbs in frequently used light fixtures for compact fluorescent or LED lightbulbs with the Energy Star label.
Install dimmer switches
Another simple way to save on your electric bill is to install a dimmer switch. A dimmer switch allows you to lower the brightness of overhead lighting. Not only does this save on electric costs, but it will also give a better mood lighting to your home!
The bottom line is that small switches in your home can lead to big savings. These little energy cutbacks add up, and in the end you will see a difference in your energy bill.
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