Top 7 Ways To Save Money On Your Utility Bills
We’re all looking for ways to save money on utility bills because they aren’t cheap and every year they continue to rise. In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program United States homeowners are spending an average of $2,000 on utility bills!
That’s money going out the door every month just to “rent” your utilities. It’s not building any equity in your home and you’re stuck paying whatever the utility companies decide to charge. Leaving homeowners wondering “how can I save money on my utility bills”? In this short article, we’re going to show you 7 easy ways you can save money on your utilities.
1. Install A Programmable Thermostat
This is a simple “set it and forget it” solution to saving money on your utilities. Normally a thermostat requires that you adjust the temperature to your liking throughout the day whether that’s to warm up in the winter or cool down in the summer. The problem is that your thermostat stays at the temperature you set it at even when you’re not home. That means that while you’re at work during the day you’re using more energy than you need to be to heat or cool your home. However, with a programmable thermostat, you’re able to set the temperature around your schedule. This way when you go to work you can set the temperature a few degrees warmer in the summer and a few degrees colder in the winter. So you’re using less energy while you’re not home and you can set it to change to your desired temperature half an hour before you get home making your home comfortable as soon as you walk through the door.
Doing this will allow you to use less energy and ultimately save money on your utilities. If you don’t want to install a new thermostat you can always set alarms on your phone reminding you to adjust the temperature before you leave for the day.
2. Replace Your Light Bulbs With Energy Efficient LED Bulbs
Changing your light bulbs can be one of the easiest and most cost-effective solutions to save money on your utilities. LED light bulbs provide a lot of benefits compared to standard incandescent bulbs. First of all, according to energy.gov Energy Star-rated LED bulbs consume 75% less energy than standard bulbs and last 25X longer! This means that you’re not only saving money monthly on your utility bills but you’ll also spend less time buying and replacing light bulbs in your home. On average LED light bulbs will save you $3 – $5 a year per bulb. While that doesn’t sound like much when you multiply it by all the bulbs in your home the savings start to add up.
3. Upgrade To Energy Efficient Appliances
While most people don’t upgrade their appliances often when the time does come to upgrade your appliances this is another great area where you can save money on your utility bills. When you’re searching for new appliances you should be looking for Energy Star-rated appliances. These will use just a fraction of the energy and water compared to their non-Energy Star-rated counterparts! For example, a dishwasher with the Energy Star label is required to use no more than 3.5 gallons of water per cycle, compared with some older models using 10 gallons per cycle. Allowing you to enjoy those shiny new appliances and the savings that come along with them!
4. Replace HVAC Filters & Keep Vents Clean
When was the last time that you changed your furnace filter? If you can’t remember it’s probably time for a new one. Once a filter becomes clogged with dust, pet hair, and dirt it causes the airflow to become restricted. This means that your furnace and A/C unit have to work even harder to cool or warm your home and leads to it running longer using more energy than it should be. Not only should you be changing your filter consistently but you should also do your best to keep your vents clean. Next time you go to vacuum take a look inside your vents and use your vacuum’s hose to clean out the vents. This will help you save money on your utilities while making your home more comfortable.
5. Make The Switch To Solar
Switching to solar is one of the easiest ways to significantly decrease your utility bills while also providing you with energy independence. Most people think that making the switch to solar is complicated and expensive which may have been true years ago but nowadays that’s far from the truth. Over the past few years the cost of solar has dropped significantly while the panels technology has drastically improved. Meaning that not only are solar panels now cheaper but they’re also more efficient and more durable. This is why more homeowners than ever are making the switch to solar. By making the switch to solar you’re able to drastically reduce your utility bills, increase the value of your home, gain energy independence, and can even make the switch to solar with no money down!
Discover The Top 5 Benefits Of Solar
When people think about saving money on their utility bills solar isn’t usually first on their mind however, it is one of the most effective ways to save thousands on your utility bills. So even if you’ve looked into solar years ago don’t let that stop you from taking another look now chances are that the costs have dropped and your savings have gone up.
Get Your Free Solar Evaluation And See How Much You Could Save
6. Switch To A Low Flow Shower Head
Did you know that on average showering accounts for 20 – 30% of your monthly water usage? Making a new low-flow showerhead a great option for reducing your utility bills. Installing a low-flow showerhead saves you money in multiple ways. First, low-flow showerheads can reduce water consumption by up to 40% while still providing plenty of water pressure. Secondly, since you’re using less water this also means that your hot water heater doesn’t have to work as hard to heat more water. Combine these two and simply switching your shower head can save you money on your utilities every month.
7. Perform A Home Energy Audit
Chances are your home is not as energy efficient as it could be. As time goes on home performance technology advances just like any other industry. A home energy audit is the easiest and fastest way to determine if there are any problems that you’re unaware of and will show you how to fix them. For example, if you have an area in your home that is colder than the rest of the home then you would probably benefit from a home energy audit to address the issue. In fact, if you follow the recommendations made during a home energy audit you could save 5-30% on your utility bills! You may be thinking that you’d have to make costly repairs and upgrades to your home but most of the time that isn’t true. Small cost effective solutions will improve your home’s efficiency and comfort saving you money on your utilities for years to come.