Is your electricity bill out of control? A few simple changes can help you lower your bill (so you can spend your hard-earned money on other things). You’d be surprised at the little things that ‘eat’ your electricity—like the type of bulbs or even your showerhead in your home. Find the small changes that can lead to big savings in your electricity bill.
Choose CFL bulbs
CFL bulbs may be more expensive to buy but they last ten times longer and consume less energy. So you really save a lot of money in the long run! Use CFL bulbs in the rooms where you spend the most time in, like the kitchen or your home office.
Get a hot water jacket for your water heater
This is really cheap (you can get one for as low as ten dollars) and can really lower your bills! It insulates the water tank, trapping heat so the machine doesn’t have to work so hard to maintain the right temperature.
Wash clothes in cold water
You can get the dirt out of most clothes with just cold water and a good laundry detergent, so why waste electricity on heating it up? Besides, many clothes tend to shrink in hot temperatures. And over repeated washings hot water can make colors in clothes fade.
Declare a laundry day
It’s more energy efficient to wait for you to have a full load of laundry.
Program the thermostat
Use the airconditioner timer and thermostat controls. For example program your airconditioner to turn off a few hours before you wake up. You can also use a ceiling fan to rotate the air in the room, cooling you down for far less electricity than an airconditioner.
Check the refrigerator gaskets
Pin a piece of paper between the refrigerator door. If it slips down then it’s a sign your refrigerator gasket is loose, which means cold air is escaping round the clock. Replace broken or worn down gaskets frequently. (Read more on refrigerator troubleshooting tips.)
Unplug if you can
Devices will use electricity even if it’s off but still plugged in. However you won’t save that much money—so don’t obsess too much over it.
Change your faucets
Use low-flow shower heads, toilets, and faucets so you can minimize your consumption of hot water. They’re really cheap, you can get good ones for about $20!
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