Surprising Ways to Save Electricity (And $$$)

Is your electric bill eating the bulk of your monthly budget? There are many ways to conserve energy and save money on utility bills apart from using energy-efficient appliances. In today’s post, we are listing down practical ways to achieve an energy-efficient home:

Unplug All Electrical Appliances/Devices

Do you have the habit of leaving electrical devices plugged even if you’re not using said devices? This habit is responsible for a huge portion of your monthly electric bills. Even if a device is turned off, it consumes 25% of its energy if it’s left plugged to an electrical outlet. So make it a habit to unplug any device that you do not use. That includes mobile phone chargers, electric fans, computers, the toaster, anything!

To conserve even more energy, try inserting safety plugs on your unused outlets. Safety plugs will save you a lot of money on heating and cooling costs.

Clean the Furnace

A dirty furnace will literally suck the energy from your home. When airflow is blocked, it leads to a significant increase in energy use. By having your furnace cleaned, you will save more money on the electrical bill.

To check if your furnace needs cleaning, check the ducts that connect the furnace to the wall. It should be tightly sealed. Make sure the furnace is turned off then take off its sides. With a vacuum cleaner, blow dust or dirt that accumulated on the area. Clean up with a damp towel. Re-attach the sides of the furnace and you’re done. If say, the furnace has major damages, leaks or holes, have it repaired by a professional.

Use a Dishwasher

Do you wash your dishes individually? Don’t, you are wasting water and energy. Don’t wash dishes the old-fashioned way, get a dishwater. It will save you more energy because it uses less water. You can save even more by using the dishwasher only with a full load then skip pre-rinsing. Skipping the pre-rinsing process could save you 20 gallons of heated water per day! To remove stubborn bits from the dishes, use a steel wool. Remove the bits first before tossing it into the dishwasher.

LED Everything

From lighting solutions to TV, LED will save you a lot of money on energy consumption. Sure, LED TV and LED bulbs are more expensive than LCD TV and CFL bulbs, respectively. But in the long run, LED everything will last longer and require less energy to work. It’s definitely a great investment if you’re serious about establishing an energy-efficient home!

Close the Door

If your home is equipped with centralized heater, never leave the door or window open. That’s money down the drain. When you leave any window or door open in a heated home, the heater works extra hard to stabilize the temperature. This leads to unnecessary use of extra energy.

Spin Dry Clothes Faster

The faster the spin cycle is, the less time you’ll need to use the washing machine’s dryer. It makes sense to use the fastest setting to cut the time it takes to wring water out of your clothes. Newer models of washing machines work great in reducing the time it takes to dry clothing and this translates to lower energy bill.