With the increasing cost of energy services, it is imperative to reduce your home’s energy consumption. It is not a complex task if you and everyone in your house follow these 10 energy-efficient tips to lower electricity costs. Plus, as a bonus, the more you decrease your usage, the smaller your final footprint will be on the environment around you.
Just as a side note, these tips can be used at home or work because they all connect together in one way or another. The only difference between the two may be the equipment or devices present, so if you are trying to cut your consumption at work, start with these tips and go from there.
- Turn Down The Heat – The hot water tank can use a substantial amount of electricity if it is constantly kicking on to keep the water in the tank up to the set temperature. A simple way to reduce this cycle is to turn the temperature down on the unit. However, never go below 145 degrees because any lower will cause algae and mold to grow.
- Showers – It may feel great to stand under hot water, but it wastes water and power. Turn the temperature down a little bit and only stay in the shower as long as it takes to wash up. If you want to soak in hot water, go to a place that offers you a hot tub to use.
- Laundry – Most of the laundry detergents on the market today can wash your clothes effectively in any water temperature. This means there is no real reason you would ever need to use hot water to complete a load, so turn the knobs to cold before starting. Plus, always make sure that you have a full load. Otherwise, you are wasting power.
- Thermostat – Living in a comfortable temperature is what owning a house is all about, but it is also one of the aspects of your home that will cause your electricity bill to go through the roof. Turn the thermostat down one or two degrees, and then take a look at your next bill.
- Compare Service Providers – It is always a good idea to check the prices of the other service providers in your area. The easiest way to do that is to go to an online site such as the iSelect electricity in NSW platform. They will match you with some of their partner sites so you can pick and choose the company that offers you the best service at the most affordable price.
- If in Texas, you might wonder how much does electricity cost in texas? The average electricity rate in Texas is 14.77¢ per kWh.
- Insulation – Replace any insulation that is missing or in bad shape. The crawl spaces under your home and in the attic will give you access to the most important areas. If you feel drafts from any outer walls, you may want to consider remodeling to add some in between the outer and inner walls.
- Doors and Windows – Replace all old doors and windows with ones designed to save energy. These energy-efficient doors and windows will make a considerable difference in regulating your current temperature.
- Dark Curtains – Get some room-darkening curtains and pull them shut when you want to keep the sun or cold out. If you want a little warmth, open them up and let the sun warm your room.
- Throw Rugs – The floors can get cold, especially tile and wood, so if you want to block some of the cold air from coming up, strategically place some throw rugs around the room. This will also make it more comfortable to walk on, even when you are running around barefoot.
- Appliances – Your old washer and dryer may work great, but they were not designed to help conserve energy. It is time to retire your current appliances and upgrade them to either smart ones or ones designed to save energy.
The one thing that you may find hard is to get everyone on the same page. It is simply too easy to walk out of a room and leave the lights on or to unplug your phone from the charger but still plug it in to the outlet. So many things can be done to help you become more efficient, but you will need to take it one step at a time, so you do not become too overwhelmed.