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With summer nearing its peak, it’s only natural one might think about decreasing their power bills. With the air conditioning on much of the time (if you are lucky enough to have it), there’s a good chance you’d like to find a way to reduce the energy you’re wasting (and we don’t even want to start talking about winter preparations). Needless to say, that’s exactly where we come in. In this we’ll show you 7 easy ways to reduce your electric bill and save yourself some money without much hassle.
#1 Do away with the so-called energy vampires
Of course, this might sound like a chapter from a spooky bestseller. However, we’ll try to act like adults and get a bit more practical. So, were you aware that almost (and sometimes – over) half the energy used up by your home’s electronic devices is sucked up during the period in which the devices in question were “turned off”? Here’s why that’s so: each of your home appliances that has a timer (or a clock) or might be set for “instant on” will suck up power 24/7, as long as you’re keeping it plugged in. In other words, you’re actually paying for your coffee maker (just an example) to do nothing. Therefore, it’s fairly simple to conclude that you should unplug any similar energy vampires when you’re not using them.
Also, here’s a friendly suggestion: in order to make things even better, try to plug them into the same power strip – that way, you can switch them all off at the same time.
#2 Cool the place in a natural way
Whether you have air conditioning or not, this one is pretty simple when you think about it: just close the curtains/shades during the day to block out as much sunlight from coming into your naturally cool home. Needless to say, this will keep your home’s air-con and fans from running like an energy-wasting beast during the day. It’s a summertime home maintenance tip if there ever was one.
#3 Replace your AC filter
For those of you lucy enough to have air conditioning, replacing or cleaning the filters can make a huge difference! It depends on how much use the system/appliance is getting, but the suggestion we’ve heard from the folks at heartmoving.us sounds something like this: do it once every three months. It’s a fairly easy thing to do, and it won’t waste much time. Not to mention that it will save you lots of money!
#4 Lower the temperature on your water heater
You may not know, but a boiler or hot water system has a set hot water temperature…even when you are using mixer taps. Sometimes the hot water setting is unnecessarily high meaning the everyday user is adding a lot more colder water in the bath or show. To make it more efficient you can simply try lowering the current set temperature. It can be especially effective in the Summer when taking colder showers or baths. Additionally, if not already done, you might want to consider wrapping a water heater insulated jacket around your tank since they are well-known as energy-reducers. They prevent the water inside the tank from losing warmth.
#5 Ditch the old fridge
Yup, old fridges are pretty infamous for being energy-drainers, and ditching them is, without any doubt, one of the 7 ways you can reduce your electric bill. If you’ve got one of these around, in your garage, for instance, just for the sake of it, maybe it’s time to stop wasting energy on something you’re not using that often. Even though it’s absurd for us to tell you that you should spend money inside an article about saving funds, buying a new fridge will probably save you money in the long run – better insulation and energy efficiency improvements soon add up!
#6 LED bulbs to the rescue
Did you know that LED bulbs use up only about 10% of the power that regular, incandescent light bulbs do? Also, lighting probably often uses more power than anything else inside your home. There’s a good chance that you’ll save some good money by opting for LED bulbs. Start making the swap now and you’ll soon see the change in your electric power bill. Optimising natural light in your home during the day is also a good idea – for example a simple well placed mirror will help bounce the light around your room. Here’s another link for more ideas and tips on how to make it brighter this way.
#7 Wash your clothes with cold water
In other words: go cold/cooler! Some machine and studies say that as much as 90% of the energy that your washing machine needs is used up on heating the water alone!
