Tips to Lower Your Power Bill
Simple Ways to Start Saving Money on your Power Bill
Are you looking for simple and effective techniques to help you save money on your power bill? This website aims to provide useful tips that will help you realize savings on your monthly power bill and utility costs.
Savings Add Up Quickly
The cost of your energy bills can stack up quick, especially in large homes or residences with many family members using the utilities. Most people wonder, “how can I get started today?” Well… that’s a good question, and the best approach! Many households don’t have the money required to install solar panels or completely renovate their home’s power system from day one, and have to start small. But, even small changes can have a huge effect on your monthly power bill.
10 Simple Tips to Get Started
Try following the below 10 tips and witness the savings on your power bill.
- Be Smart About Lighting – This one is a no-brainer, and probably something you’ve heard a million times growing up. Turn off unnecessary lighting when not in use, and use task or desktop lamps with energy-saving CFL light bulbs instead of high-wattage incandescent lights.
- Unplug Electronics – The same logic as turning off lights when not in use applies here. If you’re not using an electronic item, unplug it. This ensures that it doesn’t add to the total amount of “ghost” energy being lost in your house. Surprisingly, a large volume of small power drains can add up to a significant amount of energy being wasted every month.
- Replace Light Bulbs – Upgrade to new-style CFL bulbs and save around 75% on your lighting costs. These new style bulbs will save you energy in many ways.
- Adjust Your Thermostat – Sometimes a little bit goes a long way. Luckily, air conditioning is one of those examples. Setting your air conditioning only five degrees hotter can reduce the costs up to 20%.
- Buy Energy Efficient Appliances – When buying new appliances, always choose Energy Star. Appliances with this rating can be up to 40% more efficient.
- Keep Cool With Ceiling Fans – Reduce your cooling costs by using fans, keeping windows and doors shut, and closing shades during the day. Surprisingly, most ceiling fans use less energy than a light bulb to run.
- Power Down Your Computer – A high performance (gaming) computer can burn through some serious power if left on all the time. Enable “power management” mode on your computers and make they turn off automatically after a certain amount of time unused. Laptops are generally much more power efficient across the board, sometimes nearly 90% more efficient than their desktop counterparts.
- Wash Clothes in Cold Water – When possible, wash your clothes in cold water. Not only will this usually be less intense on your garments, most of the energy used in a washing machine is for heating the water.
- Adjust Your Water Heater – Turn your water heater down to 120° or the “Normal” setting when home, and to the lowest setting when away. Your water heater accounts for about 13% of the average home’s total energy costs.
- Upgrade Your Home’s HVAC – A syste
A brief overview of some popular energy saving topics:
Solar Panels & Other Renewable Power Systems
If you have the budget, or desire, there are many choices in renewable energy nowadays. There is a strong push for early adopters and those looking to save money long-term with these systems. As these solutions are traditionally very expensive investments for homeowners, there has been a recent surge of companies assembling to help minimize the initial cost of these solar panel installs, or various renewable energy systems, by private financing, tax-loan roll-in programs depending on counties, and a multitude of other options.
It is also commonly known that there are tax credits available from federal and state governments as incentive to install these systems in your home, and even more reason to lower your home’s reliance on the grid.
Energy Efficient Lighting
Traditional light bulbs use an excess amount of power to illuminate an area. Modern CFL bulbs and energy efficient lighting solutions can reduce the amount of power while also sometimes increasing the amount of usable light output. These new-style bulbs don’t emit as much heat, and are often cool to the touch. This can result in decreased load on your home’s central HVAC system during certain seasons.
These newer bulbs may sometimes cost a few bucks more than the old-fashioned style bulbs, but they use less than 25% of energy to output the same amount of light. Switching your most frequently used incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs can save you over $60 a year in energy costs.
Energy Efficient Lighting Information
Wind Energy – Wind Turbines
Wind energy is an inexhaustible and abundant source of energy. Unlike other resources, wind is local to any region, and does not need to be imported, which reduces dependence on foreign nations for our energy needs. Wind is also one of the cleanest forms of sustainable energy, with no by-products and without the need for complex methods to harness the power efficiently.
Tips for Business Owners
Homeowners and residents aren’t the only ones who can benefit from a Green approach towards energy. Join the growing number of business owners who are realizing a huge savings everyday by making energy smart decisions with their businesses. Click here for smart energy tips for your business.