Here’s the deal: on average, you can expect to spend at least $2,200 each year on utilities. Not only that, but $1,200 of that amount goes to electricity billing alone. How does this apply to you?
The answer is simple: any electricity and water bill can get pretty pricey. If you are looking for ways to save some money on this bill, you should check out these tips!
Cut Down on Heat and Air Conditioning
Wondering how to reduce gas bill costs? It’s actually way easier than you’d think. The truth is that you don’t have to go crazy buying expensive sustainable gadgets to lower your energy bill.
Yes, you read that right. Let’s face it: not everyone has a ton of cash to throw at expensive solar panels and smart outlets. As a matter of fact, it only takes a few tweaks to cut your electricity and water bill in half. Are you looking to save money on energy costs?
Then you’re in luck because you’ve come to the right place. For starters, you can always cut down on your heat and air conditioning costs. But here’s the catch: if you live in a super sunny area like Los Angeles, then it might be hard to turn down the air conditioning when it’s 100 degrees outside.
On the other hand, those that live in cooler areas like Washington DC may owe most of the energy costs to the heating bill instead. Wherever you live, it’s simple to save money on your monthly bill with these easy to follow tips, which include keeping your ventilation clean and open.
Sounds simple, enough, right? For those that are still scratching their heads, all you have to do is take a look at the vents near your heat or airconditioning area. You might be surprised to find that your vents have been shut the entire time, which makes the air conditioning struggle to cool down your home even more.
Solution: open up your vents to allow your air conditioning to do its job. Once you do, you’ll see how much opening your vents will lower your power costs.
Not sure how to lower the electric bill in winter? Try upgrading to a programmable thermostat as soon as possible!
Improve Your Home’s Airflow
Ever thought about improving the airflow in your home? Crazily enough, keeping the perfect temperature inside of your house or apartment can seem like an impossible feat. However, if you remember that heat rises, then you’ll know exactly what you need to do.
By opening up the airflow in your home, you can help to cool it dramatically without even thinking about turning on the air conditioning. But wait – there’s more. To do so, start by opening up the windows of your house to promote better airflow.
Better yet, turn on all of the ceiling fans in your home to push the air toward the ceiling. Just make sure that your ceiling fan is spinning in the right direction first. For instance, summertime calls for running your fan counter-clockwise to get rid of heated air.
Meanwhile, moving your fan clockwise during the winter is a great way to keep the heat in. If you don’t have any ceiling fans, there’s nothing wrong with using a few standing fans instead. Even though it won’t work as effectively as ceiling fans, standing fans can still get your air circulated properly.
Bonus points for putting your standing fans in the proper direction to push the air out. For those that are unaware, that includes pushing the hot air up and down to evaporate it. The result: you’ll finally be able to give your cooling and heating system a break, which means saving big on your monthly energy bill.
You might be wondering: how much does it cost to get the electricity turned on? The truth is, it depends on which area you’re located in!
Reduce Your Laundry Costs
Struggling to reduce your laundry costs? We got your back. First things first, saving money on your water bill starts by putting the correct number of clothes into your washing machine.
That’s not all. On top of that, turning down the heat on your driers and washers can seriously reduce your electricity and water bills as well. As you may already know, using the cold setting on your washing machine is a wonderful way to decrease your power usage.
But here’s the kicker: if you’re using your drier heavily, it clearly takes a lot of energy and heat to keep it running. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, you could always line dry some of your clothes if you live in a warmer climate. If not, try to use your drier as sparingly as possible to see big savings on your monthly bill.
Want to know a secret? Amazingly enough, measuring out your loads of laundry is a smart way to reduce your energy usage as well. Admit it – we’ve all been guilty of stuffing the laundry machine until it’s overflowing.
Even though it might feel like you’re defying nature, you’ll find that your drier won’t be able to circulate hot air fast enough to dry your clothes. That means that you might run the risk of running your drier again, which is totally time and cost-consuming.
Nobody wants that, right? Our general rule of thumb is to keep at least one-quarter of your drier empty so that it can tumble your clothes around correctly. And if you’re drying big blankets too, it’s wise to leave even more room in your drier.
Lastly, be sure to keep your laundry hours to later in the evening. For instance, experts recommend that 8:00 PM is the cheapest time to run electricity!
Turn Down the Heat on Your Dishwasher
Looking to reduce your electricity and water bill at the exact same time? Fortunately, we’ve got you covered. For the initiated, cutting down on your power usage with your dishwasher is very similar to the same techniques as your washing machine.
But here’s the kicker: turning down the heat on your dishwasher can be the key to mega savings on your monthly energy bill. Although running hot water is simply a part of the process of dishwashers, it doesn’t have to be the case for the drying cycle.
In fact, most dishwashing machine has a special heated drying setting that you can easily turn off. Even though drying your dishes under a heated setting can help you to avoid annoying water spots, you can still accomplish the same effect by using certain rinsing agents.
Already have a rinsing agent on deck? Then you’re already one step ahead of the game. All we can really recommend is that you skipped the heated drying cycle. That’s because using a rinsing agent to coat your dishwashing machine can make it hard for water to stick to your dishware.
On top of that, your dishwasher will most likely release your rinsing agent toward the end of its cycle so that it can properly scrub your dishes first. Now, you won’t have to worry about pulling out crusty dishes or wasting a ton of money on your power bill.
Never even touched a rinsing agent before? Have no fear, we’ll show you the way. To use it, find the tiny, circle-shaped cap on the dishwasher door and unscrew it.
Next, pour in your rinsing agent until it’s full. Now, all you have to remember is to push the “stop” button once your dishwasher hits the heated dry setting. Lay down your dishes and voilà!
Load Your Dishwasher More Effectively
Think that you’re already loading your dishwasher effectively? You might want to think again because simply stuffing your dishwasher with random dishes just isn’t enough.
Pro tip: make sure that you spend some extra time pre-washing your dishes before you toss them into your dishwasher. And the way that you arrange it in the rack matters as well, especially when it comes to your water and electricity bill.
Here’s the thing. When you put your dishes in your sink for a good pre-wash, the point isn’t to erase any signs of a meal. If that was the case, then you probably wouldn’t even be using a dishwasher.
Although it makes sense to scrub off the larger chunks of your food, be sure to leave the scraps for your dishwashing machine to take care of. There’s nothing wrong with this method, especially since it doesn’t take much water to pre-wash your dishes at all.
News flash: the rack that you decide to put your dishes on matters a lot too. For those who don’t know, placing your plates on the bottom rack facing toward the center is the most strategic way to load it up. Obviously, utensils go in proper section on the bottom rack, but did you know that you should be placing them with the handle facing the bottom?
That’s because placing the sharp side facing up could result in your hurting yourself. As if that’s not enough, your silverware won’t get washed correctly, which might make you want to run the machine again.
Now that we’ve got that down, be sure to put all of your cups and bowls facing down onto the top row of your dishwasher as well. Otherwise, water won’t reach the bottom rack. And we all know what that means: another wasteful cycle!
Unplug Unused Appliances
Are you asking yourself, how can I possibly cut my bill in half? It’s easy: you can begin by unplugging unused appliances as much as humanly possible. While some appliances and electronics suck out more energy than others, here are a few devices that you should keep your eyes on:
- TV sets, particularly those that are plasma-based
- Desktop computers that are always turned on
- Electric tea kettles
- Video game consoles such as PlayStation3 and Xbox
Although it’s beyond easy to substitute electric tea kettles with boiling a pot of water on your stovetop, the key to decreasing your energy usage with appliances takes much more than switching off the power button. Are you someone who loves to leave all of your electronics on?
If so, then the simplest solution for you would be to plug them all into a single power strip. That way, you can shut off all of your devices at once, which can help to reduce your energy bill drastically. Another word of advice is to leave your electronics and appliances on sleep mode as much as possible, which is a great way to decrease your power usage as well.
Dying to reduce your Texas electricity bill? It helps to compare rates from different energy providers first!
Save on Your Monthly Electricity and Water Bill
Want to learn how to save money on your monthly electricity and water bill? Join the club. From cutting down on heat and air conditioning to improving your home’s airflow, our handy guide has everything you need to save money and the environment.
Are you sick and tired of paying ridiculously high electricity and water bill every single month? You’re not alone. However, you’d be surprised by how much reducing your laundry usage can decrease your energy bill.
Not to mention that other simple tactics like turning down the heat on your dishwasher and loading it more effectively can be real lifesavers too. Ready to see for yourself? We wish you the best of luck!
Curious about more financial tips? Don’t forget to check out the rest of our blog! We have all kinds of money saving tips.