4 Ways to Save On Your Electricity Bill Every Month

Paying utility bills can be the bane of one’s existence. They vary by month so it’s hard to budget for them and one mistake could make them jump through the roof. If you have a leak that you don’t know about, you could pay hundreds, even thousands on your water bill and similarly, a light left on by accident when you go out of town could be devastating to your bank account. If you aren’t careful, your HVAC company could be making a lot more money from you than they need to be. While, bills are inevitable, there are some things you could do to cut down on how much you pay. This article is aimed at helping you stop you from paying so much in electricity. Here are a few tips that may help:

Turn off lights
It’s amazing how much money you can save by turning off lights. One study reported a drop of an average of $100 just because the families turned off unnecesary lights. If you can remember to turn off the light when you leave the room and especially when you leave the house, you could save yourself a lot of money. Open up the blinds and and curtains and front door during the day to let the sunlight in, as long as it’s not to hot. If you feel like that’s an invasion of your privacy, considering investing in blinds that open from the top so that you can let in the sunshine without allowing passers by to see into your home. Try doing this for just one month and compare your electricty bills and you will see what a difference it can make.

Use low energy bulbs
While low energy bulbs can seem dim in the beginning, they brighten up very quickly. These bulbs will save you a lot of money on your bill because they don’t use a lot of electricity or energy as the name suggests. Energy saving bulbs are the spiraled or coiled looking bulbs that you can buy at any grocery store or hardware store. Replace all the bulbs in your home with these ones and watch your bills decrease drastically, even if you forget to leave one on. The only downside is that the room may still seem dark after you turn it on but give it a couple of minutes and it will be as bright as a regular bulb.

Get a programmable thermostat
Your air conditioning system may be draining your bank account more than you realize. It’s fairly common sense that air conditioning needs are only prevalent when you are in the home. Buying a programmable thermostat will allow you to set the settings so that the air conditioning unit does not have to work as hard if you aren’t there to appreciate it. Setting it so that the temperature is warmer in the evenings or when you aren’t home at particular times of the day will help you to save on you bill. Your local HVAC company would suggest 78 degrees when you are home, and 84 degrees when you are not. However, this also depends on the level of comfort for yourself. You don’t want to live in a home that is to cold or to hot, you want to be comfortable in your home.

Regular HVAC maintenance
You’ll want to have your HVAC company come in at least twice a year and check on your unit. Air conditioning services do not have to be expensive if you are regularly taking care of the unit. If you do not have an HVAC company that you regularly use, try asking a friend or neighbor for a referral. Word of mouth is always the best way to find a new business to work with. Other than having the maintenance man come out twice a year, make sure to keep your unit clean and clear of debris the rest of the time. This will not only save you money on your bill because your unit will be running properly and efficiently but it will save you money on repairs that would have been needed had the unit not be properly tended to.