Lowering Your Electric Bill

There are many ways that you can reduce electricity use in your home and help reduce your energy bills. You can drastically reduce electricity use in your home by focusing on how you use electricity in these areas:

Appliances and electronics
Appliances and home electronics are responsible for around 30 percent of your energy bill. These appliances and electronics include the following:
1.clothes washers and dryers
2.computers
3.dishwashers
4.home audio equipment
5.refridgerators and freezers
6.room air conditioners
7.televisions, DVD players, VCRs
8.water heaters

By buying appliances with the ENERGY STAR label you will be well on your way to cutting electricity usage in your home.The ENERGY STAR labeling program includes most home electronics and appliances except for water heaters, stove ranges, and ovens.

Even when appliances and electronics are not plugged in they are still using energy. Unplug items not in use until the time you need them. You can also buy timer switches to set certain items to turn on and off at certain times designated by you.

Lighting
Artificial lighting consumes almost 15% of a household’s electricity use. Use of new lighting technologies can reduce lighting energy use in homes by 50%-75%. By switching from incandescent bulbs to CFL (compact fluorescent lamps) lighting, you save up to 75% of the initial lighting energy. Although CFLs cost 3-10 times more than comparable incandescent bulbs, they last 6-15 times as long (6,000-15,000 hours). Taking advantage of natural sunlight and opening the blinds during the day will also cut costs. And as your mother always told you, “turn the lights off when you leave a room!”

Heating and cooling
Lowering or raising your thermostat (depending on the season) a few degrees will lower your bill and it’s hardly a noticeable difference in temperature. Install ceiling fans to circulate air and make the room feel cooler. Have your furnace/air conditioner checked out by a professional to make sure it is running at peak performance. Change your air condition filter at least once a month or more if needed.

Hot water
Lower the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees. Reducing your water temperature to 120�ºF also slows mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and pipes.Only wash clothes with cold water. Turn the shower off when not needed. Installing a hot water heater jacket will insulate and cause it to lose less heat therefore requiring less energy to keep the water at a constant temperature. Running a dishwasher instead of manually hand washing dishes will reduce hot water costs.

Home improvement
Adding insulation to your attic or crawl space will result in less heat transfer. Seal any gaps around windows and doors to avoid air leaks. Install energy efficient or double paned windows to cut down on costs when you open your blinds to let sun in. You can also install solar screens on them to help out.

The bottom line is if it doesn’t need to be on, turn it off.