Brilliant Ways to Lower Your Utility Bill

Simple & Effective Cost-Cutting Measures

I think all of us have realized that costs are going up across the board for everything from food to our utility bills. Most of us haven’t had the same increase in our income so our families are feeling those increased costs. The beauty of lowering your utility bill is that it also helps the environment at the same time!

Considering how busy we all are, cost-saving measures need to be simple and effective or they will go to the bottom of your to-do list. So, we compiled some brilliant ways to lower your utility bill that won’t cost much money or take a lot of time.  Many of these suggestions we have already used in our own homes and have reaped the savings with our monthly utility bill.

The ideas we share below can help you reduce what you pay each year for water, electricity, heating, and cooling. We could all save a large amount of money if we invested in the newest energy-efficient appliances, heaters, cooling systems, and water heating systems, but the cost for most families is prohibitive. Below are some great ideas that are both simple and effective without breaking your bank account.

Start with a Home Energy Audit

Most utility companies offer a free or nominal cost home energy audit. This is a great place to start to personalize what your home needs to be more energy-efficient. Also, many utility companies have rebate programs for making energy-efficient upgrades to your home, so be sure to check out the availability of programs in your area. Many states are also offering rebates for energy-efficient upgrades to homes, so definitely check your state’s Department of Energy to see what programs are available. Once you have your home energy audit you have a plan in place to lower your utility bills and can take on a project at a time, as there is money and time to make the upgrades.

Invest in Power Strips

Energy vampires are your electronics that are plugged in but turned off. Unfortunately, these appliances still consume energy.  Electronics such as toasters, microwaves, TVs, computers, and printers use energy even when they are turned off. Appliances you don’t use very often such as your toaster or blender you can just unplug from the wall and then plugin when you want to use them.  For appliances, you use on a more regular basis the answer is buying smart power strips that can lower your electricity usage by anywhere from 20 to 40 percent. Most smart power strips cost only about $30, which is a small price compared to the energy savings and cost savings for your home.

Switch to LED Light Bulbs

LED light bulbs have come a long way since they were invented. They are no longer the bright white of their predecessors but can be purchased in many colors including colors ranging from soft yellows to bright whites. The beauty of LED lights is they use 75 % less energy than incandescent light bulbs. They don’t cost much more than traditional light bulbs and they can last up to 25 times longer, which produces cost savings all around.

Use Your Dishwasher & Add This Tip

Let’s give you a way to not only save water but also save on your utility bill. Using a dishwasher fully loaded saves about 3 gallons of water over doing smaller separate loads. Hand-washing dishes uses much more water and energy to heat the water than a fully loaded dishwasher. Here’s the trick, turn off the drying cycle on your dishwasher and allow your dishes to air dry in your dishwasher. The last heating cycle that dries your dishes uses a lot of energy and a dishwasher is the perfect drying rack. You might need to spot-hand dry a few items, but you’ll save energy in the long run.

Install Fans in Your Home

Ceiling fans are great for moving air and keeping your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Many people don’t know that there is a switch on most ceiling fans that you can switch from moving air down to air up. In the summer, ceiling fans move the hot air up lowering your cooling costs, and in the winter, ceiling fans move the hot air down lowering your overall heating costs.

If you have a wood heating stove, a great device I invested in last winter was a fan for the top of my stove that made such a difference in heating our home and better use of firewood. Combining the stove fan with a ceiling fan set on winter settings really made a huge difference in how warm our home was through the coldest months of winter.

Change Your Showerheads or Use Flow Restrictors

This next hint will not only save you water but also save you energy by not heating as much water for your showers, so a double win utility-wise! You can save energy and water with a low-flow showerhead that only has a flow rate of fewer than 2.5 gallons a minute. In fact, there are low-flow showerheads that have a rate of 1.5 gallons a minute and still feel like you have plenty of water for a great shower. If your showerhead is newer and you don’t want to replace it, just buy a very inexpensive, like under $1, flow restrictor for your showerhead. They are simple to install and save you water and energy with a few minute’s fix!

Use Cold Water for Your Wash

I never knew that 75% of the energy to do a washer load comes from warming up the water! Most of the newer ENERGY STAR energy-efficient washers clean your clothes just as well with cold water as with hot water and can save you money in not heating the water for your wash. Also, clothes washed in cold water tend to last longer and get just as clean with the new detergents that are available these days that have natural enzymes that help clean your clothes and are safe for the environment at the same time.

 

Buy a Programmable Thermostat

There are so many choices today that homeowners have for programmable thermostats. Prices have come down so much, you can actually buy a programmable thermostat for around $25. Higher-end thermostats allow you to customize your home’s temperature, so you aren’t overheating or over-cooling your home when you aren’t home. Not only does this help the environment but it also saves you money on your utility bill. If you want to spend a little more, install a SMART thermostat that can be programmed and run by using your smartphone.

Install Dimmer Switches

Not only are dimmed lights easy on the eyes in areas where you don’t always want a bright light, like a baby’s room, or your bathroom at night, but they also save money because they extend the life of your lightbulbs. Plus dimmed lights use less electricity than lights that are fully bright. Many of the new dimmer switches can be controlled by your smartphone before you ever enter your home.

Heated Mattress Pads

This was such a simple idea, but it was new to me. Instead of heating your home more than it needs to be during the night, use a heated mattress pad for your bed to keep warm on those really cold nights. Thermostats at night should be set at 65 degrees, but if that is too cold for you, instead of heating the whole house or your bedroom, a heated mattress pad really makes sense. Also, if you are a couple and one of you sleeps warmer than the other, you can get a heated mattress pad just for one side of the bed and make for lower heating costs and better harmony with your spouse at the same time.

Low-Flush Toilets

If you don’t want to replace toilets with the new water-saver models, you can simulate a low-flush toilet by adding a clean brick to the toilet tank. You can also use a weighted mason jar or a sealed plastic bottle filled with pebbles to displace water so you use less water to flush your toilet. Saving water helps the environment and also saves on your water bill.

Saving money on your utility and water bills helps your family’s budget and many of the suggestions we shared will also help the environment by using fewer resources. At Shed Windows and More we care about your family and we have appreciated the support you have given our family over the years by choosing our family-owned business for your building needs. When you need shed windows or any accessories for your outdoor building, look no further than Shed Windows and More. We have all those hard-to-find sizes specifically made for outdoor buildings, playhouses, chicken coops, tree houses, guest sheds, tiny homes, and more.