13 Tried and Tested Ways to Help Reduce Your Power Bills
By Absolutely On Time Electrical|December 02, 2019
Through the years, people have become more and more reliant on electricity. The fact of the matter is that every household is equipped with several electrical appliances and electronic gadgets. There’s usually a television (usually more than one), fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, microwave oven, espresso machine, food processor, a PC or laptop, several tablets, and smartphones, as well as heating and cooling systems.
It’s no wonder rising electricity costs are encouraging people to look for ways to economise and reduce their power bills. If you’re planning on making a few changes in your household and lifestyle, make sure to include the following:
1. Reconsider how you use appliances
Always turn off everything before going to bed. Any appliance or gadget that’s not in use must be switched off and unplugged. Cover pots and pans while cooking for faster cooking time. Avoid using the dryer as it uses up a lot of electricity. Don’t over-wring clothes; just let them hang to dry, so there’s no need to iron them later.
2. Check your insulation
Cold and heat will escape when you need them if your house is poorly insulated. Get your windows and doors checked. Replace them if you need to. Windows that leak heat during the winter need to be replaced immediately. Check your roof as well and get it insulated.
3. Use LED lights
Residential standard LED lights, especially those with the Energy Star rating use at least 75% less energy compared to incandescent lights. Moreover, LEDs last 25 times longer than incandescent lights. And while the initial outlay may seem bigger, you’ll be saving electricity and money with LEDs for a very long time.
4. Install dimmer switches
Get your regular switches changed to dimmer switches, so you only use as much light as you need.
5. Be attentive to your windows and doors
Keep out the heat and keep your interior cool by keeping your curtains closed during the day. You can also add external canvas awnings and external blinds to help block the heat from entering your home during the summer. Close the door leading to areas that you aren’t using, and cool or heat spaces only when you need to.
6. Economise energy use in the kitchen
Ensure your fridge is set to an optimum temperature of 4 or 5 degrees Celsius. Avoid banging the fridge door as this may lead it to bounce and not close properly. Ensure your fridge door is sealed tight by checking for gaps or cracks through which cold air can escape. Also, if you’ll be cooking meat the next day, leave it out of the freezer the evening prior. There’ll be no need to thaw it using the microwave next morning or afternoon.
7. Be practical with washing
Opt for the cold water cycle when washing clothes, and maximise the cycle by scheduling washes only when there are enough soiled clothes to fill the machine. Again, avoid using the dryer as much as you can.
8. Install ceiling fans
By using ceiling fans during the summer, you can reduce the load on your air conditioning unit and keep the air circulating inside your home.
9. Spruce up your yard with plants and trees
Trees provide valuable shade during the summer and can help keep your area cooler than if they were exposed directly to the sun. Moreover, a well-tended flourishing landscape also helps keep the air clean in your yard and helps with noise insulation.
10. Go for Energy Star appliances
If most of your appliances are ten years or older, or if you need to replace one or some of them soon, opt for appliances with the Energy Star label as these can help save you a considerable amount of energy.
11. Opt for a tankless water heater
When the time comes for you to replace your water heater, opt for a tankless version. On-demand hot water heaters are known to help cut energy consumption by half.
12. Get an energy assessment at home
By having an in-home energy assessment, you will be able to determine what features there are in your household that are responsible for your high energy bills. This way, you can make improvements and changes at home based on the findings.
13. Go solar
Get rid of your dependence on expensive conventional sources of electricity. Get solar panels or energy collectors installed on your roof or an optimum location in your house. This way, you’ll have a free renewable, sustainable energy resource, and you may even qualify for feed-in tariffs and incentives.
There are more ways you can try to conserve energy and get lower power bills in the process. But the ones presented here should be enough to get you started as you deal with rising electricity costs.
It’s no wonder rising electricity costs are encouraging people to look for ways to economise and reduce their power bills. If you’re planning on making a few changes in your household and lifestyle, make sure to include the following:
1. Reconsider how you use appliances
Always turn off everything before going to bed. Any appliance or gadget that’s not in use must be switched off and unplugged. Cover pots and pans while cooking for faster cooking time. Avoid using the dryer as it uses up a lot of electricity. Don’t over-wring clothes; just let them hang to dry, so there’s no need to iron them later.
2. Check your insulation
Cold and heat will escape when you need them if your house is poorly insulated. Get your windows and doors checked. Replace them if you need to. Windows that leak heat during the winter need to be replaced immediately. Check your roof as well and get it insulated.
3. Use LED lights
Residential standard LED lights, especially those with the Energy Star rating use at least 75% less energy compared to incandescent lights. Moreover, LEDs last 25 times longer than incandescent lights. And while the initial outlay may seem bigger, you’ll be saving electricity and money with LEDs for a very long time.
4. Install dimmer switches
Get your regular switches changed to dimmer switches, so you only use as much light as you need.
5. Be attentive to your windows and doors
Keep out the heat and keep your interior cool by keeping your curtains closed during the day. You can also add external canvas awnings and external blinds to help block the heat from entering your home during the summer. Close the door leading to areas that you aren’t using, and cool or heat spaces only when you need to.
6. Economise energy use in the kitchen
Ensure your fridge is set to an optimum temperature of 4 or 5 degrees Celsius. Avoid banging the fridge door as this may lead it to bounce and not close properly. Ensure your fridge door is sealed tight by checking for gaps or cracks through which cold air can escape. Also, if you’ll be cooking meat the next day, leave it out of the freezer the evening prior. There’ll be no need to thaw it using the microwave next morning or afternoon.
7. Be practical with washing
Opt for the cold water cycle when washing clothes, and maximise the cycle by scheduling washes only when there are enough soiled clothes to fill the machine. Again, avoid using the dryer as much as you can.
8. Install ceiling fans
By using ceiling fans during the summer, you can reduce the load on your air conditioning unit and keep the air circulating inside your home.
9. Spruce up your yard with plants and trees
Trees provide valuable shade during the summer and can help keep your area cooler than if they were exposed directly to the sun. Moreover, a well-tended flourishing landscape also helps keep the air clean in your yard and helps with noise insulation.
10. Go for Energy Star appliances
If most of your appliances are ten years or older, or if you need to replace one or some of them soon, opt for appliances with the Energy Star label as these can help save you a considerable amount of energy.
11. Opt for a tankless water heater
When the time comes for you to replace your water heater, opt for a tankless version. On-demand hot water heaters are known to help cut energy consumption by half.
12. Get an energy assessment at home
By having an in-home energy assessment, you will be able to determine what features there are in your household that are responsible for your high energy bills. This way, you can make improvements and changes at home based on the findings.
13. Go solar
Get rid of your dependence on expensive conventional sources of electricity. Get solar panels or energy collectors installed on your roof or an optimum location in your house. This way, you’ll have a free renewable, sustainable energy resource, and you may even qualify for feed-in tariffs and incentives.
There are more ways you can try to conserve energy and get lower power bills in the process. But the ones presented here should be enough to get you started as you deal with rising electricity costs.
