You pack the kids’ lunches every day, clip coupons and scour the Sunday circulars to find the best prices, all to save a few dollars. Being frugal takes some work, but it pays off--you have more money in the bank, better vacations, or the cash to pay for baseball and cheerleading uniforms. Finding ways to save more money can be a challenge, but a good place to start is with your electric bill.
Heating and Cooling
Check your heater or air conditioner regularly to make sure that your system is properly maintained, and clean or replace air filters one a month. If your system is very old, consider replacing it with a new model--the monthly savings will soon make up for the up-front costs. If that is not feasible, simply make the most of the system that’s in place. If the kids are in school and you’re at work all day, there’s no reason to keep the house at 78 degrees F. Bump it up or down when you leave in the morning--Florida Power and Light recommends 82 degrees F or higher for air conditioners and 65 degrees F or lower for heaters when you’re away from home.
Laundry
Washers and dryers are two of the biggest energy hogs in your house. Between 70 percent and 90 percent of the energy consumed by a washing machine is used to heat the water, says the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. A hot-water wash with warm rinse costs between five and 10 times more than a cold wash, so wash clothes in cold water as often as possible. Don’t wash single items or small loads; wait until you have a full load before doing a wash. If you’re thinking of replacing your washer and dryer but money is an obstacle, replace just the washer--new front-loader and energy-efficient models have better spin cycles and get more water out of clothes before they even go in the dryer, reducing drying times and energy usage.
Lights
Approximately 11 percent of the average family’s energy bill comes from lighting, says the U.S. Department of Energy. Using more energy-efficient forms of lighting can reduce that energy usage by 50 to 75 percent. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, or CFLs, use less energy and also generate less heat, which helps save on cooling costs. Installing timers on lights ensures they don’t stay on all the time, even if you can’t get the kids to turn them off when they leave a room.
Electronics
Televisions, computers and video games can use a lot of energy, even when they’re not on. As much as 75 percent of the electricity used to power these types of devices is consumed when they’re turned off. Using a power strip with an on/off switch, and shutting that switch off when the appliances are off will stop these “phantom” loads. Turn off any computers that won’t be used for more than two hours and turn off monitors that won’t be used for more than 20 minutes, says the U.S. Department of Energy.
Member Comments