Hey guys! How have you been? I’m back with another frugal living post because being money-smart is one habit that everyone should practise! If you analyze each one of your monthly expenses, there’d most likely be several ways to reduce the cost. And who doesn’t like a few extra hundreds in their pocket? One of our highest bills was always our electricity bill. Of course, this was because we weren’t very energy efficient, to begin with. So I started researching and testing out different energy-saving methods. And lo and behold, we got a bill that was half our usual amount! The following tips are surefire ways to save on your electric bill!
how to save on your electric bill
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9 EASY WAYS TO SAVE ON YOUR ELECTRIC BILL
UNPLUG
Even if an appliance is powered off, it is still using electricity once it is plugged in. You are throwing away dollars every day by leaving your TV plugged in (even when switched off), leaving your blow dryer plugged in and leaving your phone chargers plugged into an electrical outlet, even when your phone is not being charged. In addition to this being a fire risk, chargers for phones, laptops etc. should always be removed from the electrical outlet when not in use to save on electricity. Of course appliances like your refrigerator and coffee machine will stay plugged in, but make a conscious effort to unplug all other appliances, and see for yourself how much you’ll save!CHARGE DEVICES IN YOUR CAR
I’ll touch on this point since we just spoke about phone chargers. Why not charge your phone whilst driving?(FYI, This charger is amazeballs!) It will not save you a kazillion but every dollar counts, right? Especially when combined with all the other money saving tips in this post!
- LINE DRY CLOTHES
I love my dryer! I love the feel of soft, warm clothes that I never have to iron. But let’s face it. The dryer is one of the MOST expensive appliances in our homes. It’s sometimes even referred to as an energy hog! This is true by all means. Reducing the use of your dryer will save you tons of money every month. And your alternative is so easy! Get a drying rack or hang a line (this retractable stainless line is super easy to install… no drilling required) and get some clothespins. Easy peasy.
- BE DRYER SMART
I know all about the tough days. You have a super important appointment the next day and at 11 pm (because the kids just wouldn’t close their eyes to sleep before), you’re fumbling around looking for something other than yoga pants to wear. You finally find an outfit but for some reason, you need to run it in the washer and dryer.
If you MUST use your dryer, be smart. Make sure your load is the optimum size. This is so that your dryer will not be on a strain to dry when your loads are oversized and you will not be wasting energy by drying JUST A FEW pieces of clothing.
To save money, you should also clean your dryer vent after each load, since a dirty vent (in addition to it being able to lead to a fire) causes the dryer to take longer to dry clothes. Also, note that it’s a much better practice to shake open each article of clothing before adding it to the dryer. Clothing that is ‘crumpled up’ will obviously take longer to dry. The dryer has to use more energy and work twice as hard to dry these. This translates to more money on your electric bill and so, more money out of your pockets.
Bonus Tip: Wash clothes in cold water whenever you can to save energy and money.
USE ENERGY SAVING LIGHTBULBS
Using LED light bulbs is an investment. They’re pricier than regular light bulbs but they save you SO MUCH in the long run! They use less energy so this means that you get a lower electric bill at the end of the month, and they also last for many, many months… way longer than regular light bulbs!TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NATURAL LIGHT
Open up those blinds, guys! God has given us free natural light. Turn off your light bulbs and turn off your lamps. Open up your windows and enjoy!
how to cut your electric bill in half
Related: Find out How Women Pay More on Car Maintenance Costs
- PRACTICE KITCHEN SMARTS
Many of our appliances are in the kitchen. We can’t actually unplug our refrigerator BUT we can be smart and save!
One of the most common tips is to let food cool to room temperature before packing it away into the refrigerator. I remember first learning this tip during a high school Physics class on the topic… you guessed it… Energy! The science behind it is that since the main job of a refrigerator is to keep foods cold, when you put hot food into it, the appliance has to work twice (or maybe more) as hard to get that particular food cold. Hot food requires using more energy to cool as opposed to cooling food that is at room temperature. Got it?
You should also check your manual for the suggested temperature and ensure that your refrigerator and freezer are both set to this standard. Usually these temperatures are the optimal temperatures to save energy and to save on your electric bill.
Another common energy-saving (aka money-saving) tip is to minimize the number of times that you open and shut your refrigerator door. The refrigerator is made to maintain a certain constant temperature (whatever you set it to) and every time you open the door and let room temperature air in, the refrigerator temperature increases. It now has to use more energy to get cool again.
The same goes for the opening and closing of electric oven doors. When you set your oven temperature, it tries to maintain that temperature during your entire baking process. Every time you open the door, the temperature drops and the oven has to use extra energy (aka money) to start heating at the set temperature again.
Finally, if you can spare some time, hand wash your dishes in your sink. It will save you so much each month!
- DO NOT STRAIN YOUR A/C UNIT & HEATER
Air conditioning is a lifesaver during hot summer days but it also drains energy and your pockets. Reduce A/C usage by opening up your windows and enjoying the crisp summer breeze, or by using an electrical fan (which is wayyy cheaper to use than the A/C).
Also, it’s smart to set the unit to a temperature that is neither too hot nor too cold. This way it doesn’t have to work too hard to cool or to heat the room.
You should also ensure that the unit is the right size for your room since a small unit in a large room will have to work harder to cool and will result in a higher electric bill.
Note: The same rules apply to your heater during winter.
- SHOWER SMARTS
There are the days when you had a hard day and the only thing that can make it better is a long, warm shower or bath. By all means, go ahead and enjoy! All the other days? Take short, cold showers instead… that is, if you want more money in your pocket. Combine this with all of the above tips and you’ll be cutting your electric bill in half in no time!
All these frugal tips work together to keep more money in YOUR pocket at the end of every month. This money can be used to add to your house downpayment, to get something special that you’ve been eyeballing for the longest while, as extra spending money on your upcoming vacay, or it can simply be added to your Rainy Days saving stash. Whatever you choose to do, let it be a constant reminder to be energy-efficient and a smart-saver.
Are there any other ways that you save on your electric bill? I’d love to hear about it.