9 Important Tips to Reduce Your Electric Bill

Being energy conscious doesn’t mean rearranging your entire life, or installing expensive solar panels everywhere. There are many small adjustments you can make that are cheap, or even free!

Knowledge = (less?) Power

Simply being aware of how much electricity you use and where you use it has been shown to reduce your usage by up to 15%. Why? Knowing where you use the most energy makes it easy to find places to cut back.

Install Dimming Light Switches

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing where your lighting is concerned. Dimming the lights by a mere 10% can not only save on your electricity bill, but will also prolong the life of your bulb by as much as up to 150%.

Motion Sensor

If the back porch doesn’t get much use, but you still like to have light when you go out there, install motion sensor lights which activate only when you’re using that area. When there’s no movement the lights will cut off and your saving begins.

Program your thermostat

These handy items are pretty cheap, and allow you to set the times when you want to cut down on the heat or AC. Lowering the temp by 1 degree at night will cut your energy use by almost 1%

Insulate your hot water heater

Cheap covers are available to insulate your water heater, allowing heat to stay trapped and cut costs by about 9%

Weather Strip your Windows

Save up to 15% of heating and cooling costs by applying cheap but permanent weather stripping around your windows and doors, keeping warm air in and cool air out (and vice versa in summer)

Change the Aerator on your Faucet

A relatively cheap but yet efficient aerator will limit the flow of water from your faucet, cutting back on wasted water while washing dishes.