Summer is directly proportional to high energy consumption, thus implying inflated electricity bills. With increased humidity and harsh weather conditions, the only relief during summers is the air conditioner.
But overusing the relief utilities makes you shed a lot of pence which is a primary concern of almost every household nowadays. Here are some tips summed up to mold your conserving mode smarter.
Best tips to save your electricity bills:
Turn off unnecessary lights and fans- It is the first step and the most used phrase we have heard since childhood. When unused, instill a habit of switching off the appliances, and by doing so, you can cut down an extensive amount of billing cost.
Use a programmable thermostat- Do you know that the source of our extensive spending depends on our frequency of heating and cooling now and then? Yes, it can be a subject of higher spikes based on your personal preferences and external temperatures. So, a programmable thermostat can be of enormous help as it will automatically adjust temperatures according to your preferences for different time ranges.
Take shorter showers- Hot water is expensive. If you trim your shower time, it can make a lot of difference in your water usage and hence your electricity bill. To be more precise, if two people at your home can cut short their shower time, you could save around 30 Dollars summed up in a year.
Check your home insulation- If your home has poor insulation, the inner temperature will match the external temperature, thus threatening your comfort levels. Therefore, to cut the electricity bills, insulation is a significant factor to consider.
Go easy with AC- Air conditioners are the most significant power guzzlers among all the household appliances we use in recent times. If you are interested in buying an AC, going for a BEE-rated model is an intelligent choice. If you need to choose between a split AC and a window AC, then the split air conditioner is budget-friendly in every sense.
Use dimmer switches- You can alter the brightness of your room from time to time, thus saving overall electricity wastage. Dimmers let you adjust the brightness of a room according to your preference levels. When you are just lying on your bed or couch checking on the phone, you can adjust the light and thus for any activity.
Use dishwashers rather than handwashing- Dishwashers are the best way to save energy consumption, time, and water usage. According to California Energy Commission, using an Energy Star qualified dishwasher can save you gallons of water and relative utility cost, not to mention hours of your precious time compared to hand washing.
Use a smarter bulb- If you still haven’t shifted to more intelligent bulb usage, then now is the time. LED bulbs use at least 75% less energy and can last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting. Say goodbye to your older bulbs.
Reduce standby consumption- Standby power consumption account for around 10% of every household’s annual usage. So, make sure you switch off a device and also the main switch to which it is connected so that you don’t cost up your electricity bill for standby power consumption.
Use a microwave rather than an oven- Oven takes a longer time to cook the same food as it takes to cook in a microwave. So economically, reducing the amount of time used for cooking will make you save a lot of money at the end of the year.
Consider a prepaid plan for the electric bill- No deposit electricity plans are best to cut down the expenses behind electricity and pay for only the used electricity. Over time, it will be easy to track down the causes of energy spikes, which will help plan and budget your electricity usage. In addition, keeping an eye on seasonal usage variations will result in ensuring year-round savings.
Use an Inverter AC than a normal one- Inverter air conditioners are the most remarkable innovation in recent times. It may seem expensive due to its cost, but it can save you Dollars as it consumes less power when compared in the long run.
Replace old appliances- Appliances at your home need to be checked, repaired, and cleaned properly from time to time. For larger devices, arrange for an annual checkup which might cost you at the moment, but you will save on account of electricity usage and the problems that can arise if devices go uninspected for a long time.
Save money by washing clothes in cold water- Adjust the temperature of the water while washing your clothes. The washer has to work hard to provide hot water to your garments, due to which electricity consumption increases. So, better to go for cold water, and it will still do the same job.
Wear appropriate clothes- While being at home and wanting to be comfortable, it is an utmost requirement to look into the clothes you are wearing, whether or not that is adjustable to every seasonal change. During winters, do not hesitate to bundle up and add more layers, whereas during summers, go for shorter sleeves.
Use fans than ACs- If you can manage or if your weather permits you to restrain from turning ON an air conditioner, go for it. For winters, you can use floor heaters and blankets. Fans may take longer to cool than an AC, but the savings are worth it.
Ditch desktop computers- Switch to laptops rather than using an old desktop computer. If you use a laptop for 2 hours and compare the amount of power consumed through any mobile power tracking device, you will know how much you are spending behind using that old desktop of yours.
Use renewable methods- While it may cost you an extensive amount to install solar panels and windmills at your home, but to think of the savings you can make after year-round usage seems incredible! If you cannot invest in powering your entire home solar, you can incorporate it to power your gadgets by using some Add top portable solar power banks.
Motion sensors- This is a damn good innovation considering its usefulness. Motion sensors are helpful as they can detect any motion and turn ON the lights as soon as you enter a room where it has been fitted or turn it OFF when no signal is detected, and by doing so, power can be conserved.
Use smart plugs- Like smart lights, smart plugs can automatically turn ON and turn OFF based on a schedule preferred and monitor power consumption. Pinto any appliance usually connected to a wall outlet, and you can observe the consumption pattern in daily or monthly usage level reports through the smart plug.
Keep your oven closed- Each time you open the oven door, its internal temperature can fall by 25 degrees, making the oven work harder to heat itself up and bring back to a considerable temperature ideal for cooking, thus leading to more electricity usage. To check the food, try to observe the oven light or peek through the door without fully opening it.
Change your air filters often- Dirty air filters get clogged due to the accumulation of more debris like dust, pollen, etc. Therefore, to run the air filters efficiently and circulate clean air throughout the heating and cooling system, replace the air filters often. It utilizes less energy than any system with dirty filters, thereby blocking you from paying more for electricity usage.
De-select heat-dry setting for dishwashers- Opt-out of the heat-dry cycle of your dishwasher and, instead, air dry your dishes to save more energy. This setting can reduce your overall dishwasher usage by 15 to even 50 percent, thereby saving you from spending more on electricity bills.
Open your windows- During the day, especially early in the morning, open your windows to make sure the rooms are cooled down naturally than relying on electric appliances yet. Allow air to trespass through the windows and doors if your room gets heated up overnight.
Use pedestal fans- The unsung heroes of the cooling world, as air conditioners are widely preferrable. In almost all conditions, pedestal fans are enough to cool you down without switching to ACs. Therefore, pedestal fans are best from the economic point of view.
Use ACs the intelligent way- To run the air conditioner unit, utilize it smartly by choosing the correct settings. Set the temperature to 24-27 degrees Celsius in summer or 18-20 degrees Celsius during winters. Each degree set under this range can result in an increment of running cost by 10%.
Load your dishwasher well- Having a fully loaded dishwasher saves energy, time, and gallons of water since it reduces the usage frequency. Hence, the water-to-dish ratio becomes much lower. So, save your money.
Plant shady landscapes- During summers, we all know how plants make our life easy by protecting us from the harmful scorching heat of the sun. Planting more trees surrounding your home will reduce your air conditioning costs and block high winds during winters by ensuring reduced spending behind electricity usage.
Buy energy-efficient appliances- When buying most used devices at home, like fridges, air conditioners, televisions, washing machines, dishwashers, and others, go for an energy-efficient model to yield long-term savings. Look for Energy Star Labelled models because these appliances use less energy as compared to few other older models.
Cook with lids on- Using covers on the containers will lessen the amount of time required to cook your food as it will not let the water vapors evaporate and result in well-cooked food. It is healthier as well as reduces energy consumption by cutting down the cooking time to halves.
Use electric kettles to heat water- Electric kettles are efficient water heaters and use less energy for heating water. To let the kettles run for a longer duration, regularly clean these using hot water and vinegar to eliminate any mineral deposits.
Do your laundry and dishwasher at night- As these appliances use a significant amount of power, using these during the day, which is generally peak hours, energy consumption will be more. Instead, it will not cost up your electricity bill if you can switch the timing after dark, i.e., during the off-peak hours.
Clean your refrigerator coils- Cleaning the refrigerator coils can seem a hell lot of a task, but leaving it like that will make an increment in your energy consumption by 35 percent! Yes, this is true, and that is why make sure you clean and vacuum away that dirt from the refrigerator coils and save your money.
Install Smart Meters- Smart Meters are a promising innovation both from the customer’s end and the utility provider’s. Smart meters provide you an actual report based on your electricity usage and let you know how and when you should purchase electricity by carefully looking into the peak and off-peak hour rates. And based on that, you can shift your energy usage habits which become economically profitable for you.
Use low flow faucets and showerheads- Replace those leaky faucets and showerheads to save on water wastage. Choose a showerhead with a flow rate of fewer than 8 liters per minute, and you can see the difference.
Do an energy audit- The energy audit is an efficient way to have a professional look after your home and find more ways to save you money. Using thermal cameras and much other specialized equipment, they can determine if your home lacks sufficient insulation and provide advice for improvements.
Summing up, with the lockdown phase and the pandemic situation going on, these days, as we are spending more time at our home and electricity usage has increased over time, the hassle of reducing our carbon footprint and going green along the way has escalated too. There are countless strategies to help you in reducing your electricity bill. The first will always be a slight change in your daily behavior that can bring in many differences. Therefore, to conserve more and more energy, be proactive and money savvy if you want to lessen your electricity billing cost in the long run.
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Business, marketing, and blogging – these three words describe me the best. I am the founder of Burban Branding and Media, and a self-taught marketer with 10 years of experience. My passion lies in helping startups enhance their business through marketing, HR, leadership, and finance. I am on a mission to assist businesses in achieving their goals.