When finances become tight people begin looking for ways to earn extra money or to decrease or eliminate their monthly bills. While it is not usually feasible to entirely eliminate your electric bill, most Americans can save a little money by following a few simple energy-saving tips.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
The average household, according to Energy Star, spends $2,200 a year on energy bills with heating and cooling accounting for almost half that bill. Properly using a programmable thermostat can save homeowner's about $180 on their energy bill. To properly use a programmable thermostat, set the temperature at energy-savings levels, which can be found in the owner's manual, for long periods of time such as when you are away at work or while your family is sleeping. If you own a multi-level house, consider purchasing two or more programmable thermostats, this allows you to set different temperatures for multiple locations, once again saving you money on your energy bill.
Allow Clothes and Dishes to Air Dry
Clothes dryers and dishwashers use a lot of unnecessary energy. Consider installing a clothes line in the back yard or a laundry rack in your utility room to allow you to air dry your clothes. Not only does it save energy and money but it is also gentler on your clothes. Also when washing dishes, don't use your dishwasher's drying cycle, instead allow the dishes to air dry.
Replace Incandescent Light Bulbs With Compact Fluorescent Lights
Compact Fluorescent light bulbs use 75 percent less energy and lasts 10 times longer than the average incandescent light. According to the United States Environmental Protection agency, if every American exchanged one incandescent light bulb for one compact fluorescent light bulb, energy cost would decrease by $600 million a year.
Reduce Energy Consumption
A variety of ways exist to reduce energy consumption. The easiest is turning everything off when not in use including lights, televisions and computers. If you have a lot of electronics located in the same vicinity, consider using a power strip so you can turn them all off at once. Another way to reduce energy consumption is by taking cool showers and doing laundry with cold water.
Adequately Insulate Your Home
Inadequately insulated homes, according to the Department of Energy, are a leading cause of energy waste. Heat naturally flows from warmer places to cooler places, therefore in the summer when you have the air conditioner on, warm air tends to seep in from outside. The reverse is true in the winter months, when it is cold outside. Proper insulation helps to reduce flow of heat, either inside or out, and saves you money on your energy bill.
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