5 Daily Routines That Will Reduce Your Electric Bill

1) Change your clothing instead of the thermostat to regulate your body temperature. If it is hot, take layers off. If it is cold, wear more. This is a very simple way to leave your thermostat at a constant, comfortable temperature that minimizes the need for electricity. The more you hear your heater/air conditioning turning on and running, the more electricity you are using and the more money you are wasting.

2) Learn how to use your curtains in ways that will benefit you. Open them during the day, especially when it’s cold outside. You will allow sunlight to come in through your windows, which will double your electricity savings by warming up your house and providing illumination at the same time. Once the sun sets, make sure to turn off lights in rooms you aren’t using. An exception to this rule is with extremely hot summer days, when keeping your curtains closed may help prevent heat from entering your house and stop cool air from leaving. An air conditioner takes priority because it uses much more electricity than light bulbs.

3) Use cold water instead of hot water whenever you can. A few examples of occasions where you might possible use cold water: washing your clothes, cleaning the dishes, brushing your teeth, bathing, rinsing your hands, cleansing your face, mopping the floor, etc. If you find yourself using less and less hot water, you may be able to turn the temperature on your water heater down, saving even more on your electricity bill. If you are looking to lower your electric bill, you are probably going to want to check out five easy ways to lower your water bill as well.

4) Connect all of your media centers to one single master switch, such as a surge protector power strip. If you have a television, DVD player, Blue-Ray player, stereo system, and cable box in the same location, you will be able to flip the “smart switch” and turn all of them off at once. Otherwise they will run day and night, wasting electricity even when you aren’t using them. You can do the same thing for desktop, monitor, router, printer, and fax machines that are in your office or computer location. This idea simply expands upon one of the rules of saving electricity and reducing your monthly bill: “If you aren’t using it, turn it off.” You might notice that your home is a little cooler in the summer when you lessen the use of electrical equipment by turning them off instead of letting them idly run.

5) Refrain from continuously opening and closing your refrigerator or freezer. You will force the refrigerator into using more power to keep the inside temperature at the specified setting. It also helps to keep your freezer and refrigerator at least 60%-70% full at all times. Air warms up faster than solid items, so if the door is opened and closed constantly, a full freezer/refrigerator will reduce the amount of air space and have to use less electricity in cooling itself.