living room

I am constantly searching for new ways to lower my utility bills. It’s almost like a never-ending quest, because no matter how far I whittle them down, I never quite feel satisfied. The one I’ve really struggled with lately has been my electric bill.

My electric bill varies a lot depending on the season.  It was running almost $200/month this winter, but is now closer to $60.  This is mainly due to me living in Montana while renting a poorly-insulated house.

Unfortunately, the fact that I am indeed a renter puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to lowering this bill.  Renting usually precludes more drastic energy-saving measures such as insulating and remodeling.  A home owner, on the other hand, can do as he or she pleases in an effort to save some dough.

Although burdened, I have slowly (but surely) discovered little ways to reduce my electricity use.  Fortunately, most of these have been simple enough that I haven’t needed to purchase a sledgehammer and new dry wall!

Below is a list I found of 23 ways to reduce your electric bill compiled by Mary Hunt of Women’s Day.  All of her suggestions have been categorized as either pertaining to the air conditioning, the dishwasher, the clothes dryer, the electric stove, electronics, the house in general, or as “other.”

If you have time, I suggest you follow the link back to the original article.  Although it may appear brief, I found it to be packed full of useful information.

23 ways to save on your electric bill

Air Conditioning:

1. Install a programmable thermostat

2. Raise the temperature

3. Use fans

4. Replace or clean filters

Refrigerator/Freezer:

5. Vacuum the coils

6. Tighten the seals

7. Defrost often

8. Keep it stocked (sometimes)

Dishwasher:

9. Fill it up

10. Air dry

Clothes Dryer:

11. Load it properly

12. Hang your clothes

Electric Stove:

13. Use flat bottom pots with tight lids

14. Use Smaller Appliances

Household Electronics:

15. Turn off TV when not in use

16. Unplug the computer

The House:

17. Inquire about a home energy audit

18. Do your own audit online

19. Seek professional help

20. Inquire about discounts

21. Sign up for voluntary time-of-use

22. Opt for a summer cycling plan

23. Look into available specialized services

Again, I urge everyone to refer to the original article because some of these might be confusing without an explanation.  You will probably be surprised by a few of them (as I was).  Personally, I found 6, 7, 13, 21, and 22 to be very interesting ideas.

List expanded:

I really like this list; however, I feel that it’s missing a few things.  Therefore, as always, I have taken the liberty to expand upon it:

• Replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents ones: I couldn’t believe this one was left out.  According to EnergyStar.com, each CFL you install will save you $30 over its entire lifetime.

Now think about how many sockets you have around your house.  Do you realize the money saving potential now?.

• Insulate your hot water heater: According to the U.S. Department of Energy, if your tank does not have a highly-rated R value, adding insulation can reduce standby heat losses by 25-45%.  If you are not sure about your tank’s rating, they recommend touching it.  If it’s hot to the touch, it needs insulation.

• Maximize available natural lighting: As a design student, I have read many times about the financial benefits associated with natural lighting.  However, not only can natural lighting save money, but it also has also been shown to improve one’s mood.

• Install window awnings: Window awnings ward off solar radiation from entering your home on hot, sunny days.  However, before running off to buy awnings, consider cheaper options.  A quick Google search should lead you to blueprints on how to build your own for less.

• Use a Kill-A-Watt to find the worst offenders: A Kill-A-Watt can be purchased online for around $20, if you shop around.  If you’ve never used one, they are really cool!  By plugging an appliance into the Kill-A-Watt first before inserting it into an outlet, you can monitor the amount of juice it’s using at any given moment.

Final thoughts

In all, both Mary and I have barely scratched the surface on ways to save electricity around the home.  For fun, try searching for “ways to save electricity” in the search engine of your choice.

Thank you for reading!  I hope this post saves you some money!