If you’re like many people, you’ve likely noticed your energy bill going up over time. In some cases, it’s because you actually use more power. But in many situations, it’s because energy prices have been trending up over the years.
With home energy expenses already one of the highest living expenses, this may greatly impact your budget. But knowing where to cut back to save energy may not be easy to understand.
That’s where this guide helps. You’ll learn what actions, small and large, to take to reduce your utility bills. Here is what to do to lower your power bill.
Start With Lighting
Switching your light bulbs is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to save on energy bills, especially if you have old and inefficient bulbs. Traditional bulbs use too much power and don’t last that long, so homeowners spend too much lighting their homes.
New LED bulbs don’t suffer from this problem. The biggest hurdle to using them is the added cost. However, they use much less power and last a lot longer.
A larger upfront cost will pay dividends in the end. In addition, you get advanced features like smart lighting and other automation technology to make lighting part of a smart home.
Control Your Thermostat
Many homeowners keep their homes at the perfect temperature 24/7. Whether they are there or not, the thermostat is constantly running to maintain it.
This normally isn’t necessary. Purchase a smart thermostat to automatically change your home’s temperature when you aren’t there. Doing this will reduce the work your HVAC needs to do to maintain your home’s climate and reduce your overall power bill.
Also, consider using fans, space heaters, and other products to stay comfortable instead of using your HVAC all day. Set the temperature a few degrees higher and lower to limit your HVAC use. An even more efficient option is simply dressing for the weather to account for temperature changes.
Make Smart Appliance Upgrades
It’s probably not in the cards to upgrade all your appliances at once. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t do things gradually as things break and you need to replace them.
When you have an appliance failure and begin shopping for new products, make sure to take energy efficiency into account. At a bare minimum, the appliance you purchase should have an Energy Star certification.
Many appliance manufacturers also have unique technology that gives them an edge in energy efficiency. Explore how much power each appliance uses and learn about their advertised features to see which quality products are the best with energy efficiency.
Seal the Cracks
Small imperfections add up over time in older homes. There are cracks in window seals, insulation breaks down, and other issues.
As these problems add up, it becomes much harder to maintain your home’s climate. The climate from outside slips in, or climate-controlled air moves outside. The HVAC has to work overtime to account for the climate leakage.
Try to find and fix these problems to make it easier to keep your home comfortable. Seal your windows and doors to prevent air from escaping there. Reinforcing your insulation will help your walls keep air inside and comfortable.
Manage Your Water Heater
It takes a lot of power to keep your water hot, especially if you use an electric water heater. Because of that, the water heater contributes to more of your power bill than most of your electronic devices.
Try setting the temperature on your water heater a little lower. You may not care about water being scalding hot, so you probably won’t notice it during regular use.
Another option when you replace your water heater is a tankless heater. A tankless water heater only heats water on demand, so you don’t have the energy used to keep water hot all day.
Reduce Phantom Energy
Electronics aren’t always off when you shut them off with the power button. Some products enter standby mode, where they are still on but appear to be shut off. These items, also known as energy vampires, will drive up your energy bills.
The problem is that these items still draw energy from doing this. They do this to prevent startup time and to make things convinient for the user.
Make sure items are completely turned off if you want to stop them from drawing power. A great way to do this is with smart power strips. These products allow you to:
- turn off power at specified times
- cut power to items on standby
- use remote switches to control the power
Invest in a Solar Installation
If you have a large home improvement project in mind, solar panels are a great option to explore. They cost a lot of cash upfront. But this investment will pay for itself once you spread the cost over several years.
You can purchase a solar energy installation as small or large as you wish. A large enough installation will allow you to sell power back to the energy company and get credits for power usage during periods with little sun. On top of that, there are many tax credits available that will lower the price even more.
There are many solar options available, including easy solar panel installation in Washington. Reach out to a solar panel installer to learn the process of installing solar panels and see if it makes financial sense to you.
Reduce Home Energy Expenses
With expenses rising across the board, it’s no surprise that you’re trying to reduce expenses wherever possible. And since electricity is often one of the biggest bills someone has, it makes sense to put it at the top of your list.
Luckily, there are many things you can do to reduce home energy expenses. The above tactics will help you manage your power bills and reduce the total energy your home needs to operate. Put them into place today to see how low you can make your power bill.
Do you have any other home improvement projects in the future? If so, our blog has more great posts that will help. Head back there to read the latest home improvement posts.
