Ways to Cut Your Utility Costs

Reducing your home’s energy usage doesn’t require you to spend much money. By making small lifestyle changes and by making changes to the way you use electronics and appliances, you can reduce your home’s energy bills. Over the course of years, you can save hundreds of dollars.

1. Cook Inside in Winter, Outside in Summer

Your stove and oven produce a lot of heat, which can warm up your home’s interior at hot times of year. If you’re running the air conditioner, this forces your A/C to work much harder than necessary to keep your home a comfortable temperature. Cooking outside, either with a portable electric cooktop or with a small grill, can help reduce the burden on your home’s HVAC system, which prevents the HVAC system from running longer than necessary.

In winter, cooking indoors can help heat your home. After you’re finished baking and the oven is off, leave the oven door open a crack. This lets the warm air into your kitchen, which helps the furnace do its job.

2. Cut Back On Appliance Usage

Think about the times when you use appliances at home. Many homeowners use their appliances more frequently than necessary. Take the dishwasher for example, which uses electricity and water every time it’s used. You can limit the water and electricity that your dishwasher consumes by only running the dishwasher when it’s completely full.

Another appliance that uses a lot of energy, and which is often used unnecessarily, is the clothes dryer. At times of year when the weather is warm and dry, consider using a clothes line rather than a clothes dryer. Using your appliances in this way will reduce your home’s energy usage, and will also reduce wear and tear on your appliances, which will save money on appliance repair and replacement.

3. Use Your Programmable Thermostat

Programmable thermostats are common in homes now, but many homeowners don’t use these devices as they were intended. By programming your thermostat to raise or lower the temperature at night, you can save money with little effort. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save about 10% per year on heating and cooling by reducing your home’s thermostat by about 7 to 10 degrees daily.

4. Ensure Proper Insulation and Sealing

According to the EPA website, homeowners can save about save about 15% on their home’s heating and cooling bills by sealing and winterizing their home. Weatherstripping is a part of this process. Weatherstripping is an easy activity that most homeowners can do on their own, even on a tight budget. Weatherstripping foam can be found in hardware stores and home improvement centers. Installing weatherstripping foam along your home’s windows and doors can prevent air leaks that puts pressure on your home’s HVAC system.

Do you feel a draft in the room when you’re standing near your windows. This is a sign that your home needs to be weatherstripped. Can you see daylight shining between your home’s front door and the door frame? This is another indication that your home could use some weatherstripping. Get started!

Reduce Your Home’s Energy Usage, Cut Your Bills

By taking small steps to reduce your home’s energy usage, you can cut your home’s energy bills. For more information about how you can save money through small lifestyle changes or adjustments, keep checking back with our blog.

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