I have collected tips and ideas for conserving electricity in our homes because it is my experience that it is one of the easiest ways to save money. The key to remember when conserving electric is to turn it off if you are not using it (whatever “it” may be). If it uses electric, and you are not currently using it, turn it off and/or unplug it. Seriously, turn it off or unplug it.
Air Conditioning
Heating and cooling systems account for the largest portion of your electric bill so I’ll cover it first. The key is to run your heat and air as little as possible.
- Keep it warm in the summer and cool in the winter. Every degree that you adjust your thermostat is costing you money.
- Change your air filter monthly to increase efficiency and prolong your system’s life.
- Check for leaks and dislocations in your ductwork so you don’t end up paying to cool/heat your attic or under your home. As a hint, if you had someone doing work in your attic and your electric goes up, you might want to check to make sure they didn’t knock loose or crush your A/C duct.
- Set the temperature at the desired setting, not lower. It is a common myth that if you set the temperature lower it will cool down faster. Your A/C blows one temperature and one temperature only so setting it lower does no good and actually has been known to cause the unit to freeze up which leads to flooding, shorter system life, and expensive servicing costs.
- Use a programmable thermostat to schedule when your A/C runs so you don’t pay to cool/heat your home when you don’t need it like when you are at work or when you are asleep. Note – Don’t turn your A/C off, just adjust it so that it isn’t quite as cool/warm as you normally like it. Turning your system off totally will actually cost you more as it struggles to completely re-cool/re-warm your house.
- Try to use a ceiling fan for air flow instead of running your A/C, especially when the weather gets nicer.
Water Heater
We love our hot water, especially those hot showers after a long day at work. However, the water heater is a major player in the electric bill, especially since heat is created by electric flowing through resistance. The single most important thing to remember with your water heater is the temperature setting. The higher the temperature, the higher the electric bill.
- Reduce the temperature setting on the heating elements. Do you really need your water scalding hot?
- Replace the elements and thermometers on your old water heater, or replace the water heater altogether with a more efficient unit.
- Shorten your shower time to conserve the hot water.
- Run only full loads in your washer and dishwasher as a partial load and full load use the same amount of hot water, or try washing more of your clothes in cold water.
- Keep the insulating blanket around the water heater in good condition and replace it if necessary.
- Consider getting a tankless water heater so you only heat the water when you need it.
- If you are are going to be leaving on a trip for a few days, you might want to turn off your water heater so you aren’t paying for water to be kept hot that you aren’t going to use.
Cooking
When we are preparing our meals, a little consideration of energy will result in a lower power bill. For example, instead of preheating an empty oven consider preheating with the food already in the oven so the heat is not wasted. The key for cooking is if the heat is on, try to have something cooking so you aren’t wasting electric heating on an empty pan or empty oven.
- A microwave uses 30% less energy than a conventional oven so at least try to use a microwave for the smaller meals and dishes.
- Try to avoid having a pan or oven heating without food in it. For example, when cooking pasta or boiling eggs, bring the water to a boil with the food already in it so you don’t waste heat. This also reduces cooking time.
Refrigerator/Freezer
A few quick thoughts on your refrigerator and freezer. Your refrigerator operates most efficiently when food is arranged to allow air flow. An overloaded refrigerator is inefficient because the air can’t flow around the food. Freezers need the exact opposite. A full freezer requires less energy to maintain the temperature then a partially full freezer. If you are buying a refrigerator, an over/under refrigerator has supposedly been shown to be more efficient than a side by-side.
Electronics
Our homes are full of electronics such as TV’s, DVD players, stereos, cell phone chargers, etc which all use electricity and most use power even when they are turned off. This means that even when you are not using your electronics, they are still costing you money, even if it is a small amount. Now, I have to admit that becoming paranoid about the little amount of power these items use while off is probably not worth it on a practical day-to-day basis, but if you are going to be gone for awhile, like on vacation, you may want to consider unplugging your entertainment system.
General Home Improvements
There are several things that we can do to reduce the amount of electric we use in our homes that may not be major on their own, but when done together can make a difference.
- Replace your incandescent light bulbs with more energy efficient bulbs like the compact fluorescent bulbs, more commonly called “CFs” or “curly bulbs”, or LED lights which is the next evolution in energy efficient lighting.
- Turn off fans and lights when you leave a room. Remember that a ceiling fan is only good when there is someone in the room to feel the airflow, as it does not actually cool a room.
- Upgrade worn out insulation in your attic and/or install insulation in bare areas. This will decrease your heating and cooling costs.
- Replace leaky outdoor doors and windows. The word “leaky” is describing your money leaking out as you try to heat and cool the great outdoors.
The main thing I want to impress on you is that with a little thought and good habits, you can make great strides in taming the beast that is the utility bill.