There are hundreds of ways you can reduce your utility bills. Those who are considered “CHEAP” come up with innovative ideas such as recycling their shower water in a bucket so that they can use that bucket of waste water to flush the toilet. Without going extreme, here are 16 common ways you can reduce your utility bills.
Electricity
1. LED Bulbs. Once upon a time ago, LED lights were very expensive. Times have changed and soon it will be illegal for manufacturers to produce incandescent light bulbs. LED bulbs are now very affordable. They use less Watts to produce more light than incandescent bulbs and they last much longer.
2. Replace Old Appliances. Having the right refrigerator, microwave, dish washer, laundry washer, dryer, toaster, blender, and coffee makes can make a monumental difference in your energy bill. A Vita-Mix Blender will use way more electricity than a KitchenAid blender. Pay attention to the energy star ratings and the annual electricity cost estimator located on most appliances.
3. Unplug Vampire Electronics. Video game consoles are notorious for sucking up electricity even when they are off. Anything that charges or has a power block attached to the cord will constantly drain electricity. This includes TV’s, digital clocks, phone chargers, home smart devices, and more.
4. Drying your Clothes. You can go extreme and hang-dry your clothes or you can use the dryer on the low heat setting and clean out the lint filter trap after every use to maximize heating efficiency. Your choice.
5. Install Motion Sensing Lights. My mother-in-law is one of those people that turns on all of the lights as they travel through the house, but never turn them back off. In fact, she does the same with our TV’s and smart home devices. We have shows and music playing on multiple devices throughout the house simultaneously. It drives me crazy.
6. Setup Power or TV Timers. Based off the previous example, I had to setup TV timers so that my TV’s turn off after 10 minutes of inactivity. Those who decorate their house with Christmas lights should own a set of power timers.
Heating & Cooling
There are dozens of HVAC systems out there. You have furnaces, heat pumps, air handlers, baseboard heat, split air systems, and more. Your HVAC system may be powered by electricity, natural gas, heating oil, propane, or a combination of energy sources.
1. Lower Your Water Heater Temperature. Most water heaters will have a red valve located near the base of the water tank. This valve should have labeling to tell you if it is set to warm, hot, or very hot. If you don’t need “very hot” water, then lower your water temperature.
2. Use a Learning Smart Thermostat or Set Heating/Cooling Schedules. This may also save electricity, especially if you have an electric heat pump. Programmable thermostats can also help save energy if you program them right. As a Nest Learning Thermostat user, I enjoy being able to adjust the temperature while I am traveling.
3. Change Blower Air Filters Regularly. Most Furnace Manufacturers will recommend once every 3 months. The dirtier your filter, the more the blower motor has to work to intake and push air through the house. This is a very simple maintenance item that literally takes less than 30 seconds if you have easy access to your furnace.
4. Keep Vent Registers Clear. Going along with changing air filters, you want your register vents to be clean, clear, and wide open to maximize the efficiency of your HVAC system. The intake registers specifically quickly collect dust so be sure to wipe them clean once a month.
5. Replace old HVAC systems and water heaters. As an engineer who currently works in the HVAC industry, I know that the AFUE rating and the type of blower motor a furnace has can make a huge difference in your utility bills. If your water heater, furnace, heat pump, or A/C is over 10 years old, consider upgrading to a more efficient system.
6. Seal your Home. Make sure your exterior doors and windows are closed well and sealed. If you feel air coming through, you may need new weather stripping, new windows, or new caulk sealant.
Water
1. Use your Dish Washer. This may surprise you, but washing dishes by hand on average will use more than double the amount of water than a dish washer uses. Just make sure you fill up the dish washer before you start the cycle.
2. Install Automatic Sensing Faucets. My neighbor just recently installed these faucets in his home. Just like most modern public restrooms looking to save money on water bills, you too can save with an automatic faucet.
3. Change Out Your Shower Head. The design and GPM (Gallons Per Minute) of a shower head could mean a difference of 50% in your water bill. Find a shower head with a low GPM number and a widespread spray.
4. Laundry the Cost Effective Way. Wait for a full load before you wash your clothing and consider using the Tap-Cold water setting. Tap Cold Water allows you to mix colors without staining your whites and it saves on electricity or fuel costs because your water heater is not needed for the process.
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