Spending more time at home is having a lot of folks making new discoveries with their musical and baking talents. It also has them discovering how much more they are paying in utilities. It stands to reason that your bills for water and electricity are going to go up. That’s why you want to seize the opportunity to save on energy costs wherever you can.
Here’s what you can do:
Turn Off the Lights
This one is a no-brainer but turning off the lights when they’re not in use is the easiest and quickest way to save on your power bill. To that end, you should also think about utilizing natural light during the day as much as you can. The moment you wake up, throw open the drapes, and pull up the shades. If you can avoid turning on any lights throughout the day, then you’ll be ahead of the game. You might also want to make the switch to LED light bulbs. They can generate up to 75% less energy while maintaining their brightness.
Take Shorter Showers
Have you ever timed your showers? Most folks take around 10 to 15 minutes for a shower. That can be very relaxing but it is also wasting money. If you were to cut your showers down to four minutes, then you might be able to save up to $130 on your water bill each year. That is just you. Multiply that by all the people living under your roof and you can create several hundred dollars in savings all by being quicker in the shower. It also helps to have a low flow showerhead.
Run Full Loads Only
Your washing machine and dishwasher both use water and electricity to operate. You can’t do without those appliances but you should strive to use full loads every time you operate them. It will be easy to fill up the dishwasher but you might have to wait a day for the laundry especially since you might not be wearing as many clothes!
Additionally, you should wash your laundry on cold whenever possible. Most new washers are high-energy efficient and designed to clean with the cold settings. As for drying, you could “old school” with a drying rack or hanging clothes on a clothesline in the backyard. It gets the job done quicker than you think and can translate into significant savings.
Unplug Devices Not in Use
You’re probably using your laptop a lot. When you shut it down for the night, be sure to power it off and unplug it from the wall socket. The same should happen to any appliance that you’re not using including your phone chargers. They all expend energy when plugged in.
Use Small Appliances
Pre-heating and using your oven takes up a lot of energy. If you can, then you should try to use your smaller appliances like a toaster oven, microwave or the slow cooker. Watch out for your fridge, too. Try not to leave the door hanging open. The longer you do that, the harder it works to keep things cool and that can be an energy drain.
Anyone of these changes might be a small saving but when you put them all together you can really make a dent in your bills.
