Every little bit helps
In these tough times, everyone is looking for ways to save money. The obvious options for limiting your discretionary spending have been very popular. However, there are many other little tricks and tips related to how you live your everyday life that can also amount to real savings. The five ideas that were discussed are little things that can be done around the house to save money on electric bills, and they require little effort or investment.
1. Using fluorescent light bulbs
This idea has largely been connected to many green initiatives today because the new household fluorescent bulbs use about a fourth of the energy that old-fashioned incandescent bulbs use. Using less energy means lower bills, which means spending less. Switching to fluorescent bulbs will save anywhere from $ 10 to $ 50 per annum. Also, since modern fluorescent bulbs last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, you buy fewer bulbs and therefore, save more money.
2. Using the microwave instead of the oven
Assuming you have an electric oven and stove, you can save about $50 per year by using the microwave for many of your smaller cooking and heating requirements. Microwaves use less energy than ovens or stove tops, and are far more efficient, which results in less heat, and therefore energy, going to waste. Further, many newer microwaves come with toasting coils and other features that expand the range of applications for your microwave. The technology has advanced, so think about using the microwave more than the oven.
3. Fixing your thermostat settings
In general, each additional degree of cooling that you use during the summer raises your power bill by 6 percent, and every degree of additional warming you use during the winter raises your bill by 3 percent. Therefore, if you set a firm temperature range and stick to it you can save a lot of money. The most common suggestion is setting thermostats for no lower than 78 in the summer, and no higher than 68 in winter. Setting and keeping to a firm range of temperatures can save hundreds of dollars per year.
4. Line drying your clothes
Electric clothes dryers not only use a lot of electricity, they are also incredibly inefficient, with much of the heat being completely wasted. Also, air from the dryer’s air system pulls heated air from the home to the outside through the exhaust, a process called heat transfer. While using your electric dryer may be a necessity some of the time, if you have light loads or are washing light clothes, letting them dry naturally can save you about $ 50 per year. Air drying is also good for some clothes, especially any that have elastic.
5. Get an energy audit
Most major utility companies offer energy audits to their customers, where an inspector comes to your home and points out small steps you can take to make your home more energy efficient. You could call your utility company and see if it offers the service. The inspector will usually come to your home and look at your insulation and other energy-related matters. After the review, the inspector will give you a series of recommendations of simple steps you can take to lower your energy expenditure. An energy audit could find something you skipped over.
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