Complaining about your electric bill? If that is the
case, get more charged up about doing the things around your
home to save more money. According to Energy Star,
practicing these tricks can keep more money in your pocket:
- Switch out
your air filter every 90 days minimum, along with turning to a programmable
thermostat, could lead to more than $180 in savings annually;
- Drop your
water heater thermostat just 20 degrees (140 to 120) can potentially result in
savings greater than $400 a year;
- When you
change out light bulbs with Energy Star bulbs, the savings can amount to $70 a
year (it is estimated individuals nationwide waste some $9 billion when it comes
to energy inefficient lighting).
Lessen upcoming electric bills by taking a look at just five of many cost-saving
tactics:
Nature’s
gifts If you live in colder areas of the
country during wintertime, let the sun in. Keep your blinds and
drapes open during the warmest times of the day so that the sun can work its
way inside your home, allowing you to turn down the thermostat a few degrees.
In the summertime, keep the intense heat out by closing blinds and
drapes from late morning until early evening. Keeping the
heat out allows you to turn the thermostat up a few degrees before
the air conditioner kicks in.
Don’t waste It is easy to head out of a room for a half an hour or longer and leave the lights on. While that time may seem insignificant, your electric bill is increasing with each minute. Consider
putting motion detecting lights in your home, especially in the most heavily
used of rooms. You can purchase
energy-efficient lighting that not only saves you money, but is better for the
environment;
Wash and dry Make sure you get a full load in each
time. Turning
on the cold water for such chores also saves you money.
Clean and
replace appliances Take a day
several times a year to check all the appliances in your home to make sure they
are running at full efficiency. Having vents and filters blocked, keeping old
filters around too long, never replacing other parts and appliances themselves
over time leads to more costs for you. An appliance's weakening condition is costing you more money in the long run.
Stay alert Are you someone who
just likes having the television on for background noise? Doing one or both of
these acts eats into your electric bill. The same holds true for computers and
other electronic gadgets. If you are planning a vacation, unplug
such devices, as they consume electricity even when in the off position.
While you do
not have to be obsessive about saving money on your electric bills, use common sense.
About
the Author: Dave Thomas covers financial topics online.
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