Paying for electricity for your home can eat up a lot of your household’s budget for the year. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to reduce your overall energy usage to keep your bills as low as possible. While major modifications to your home can make a big difference, even small changes can add up over time to bring your bill down. Here’s how to get started.
Avoid Energy Waste on Phantom Loads
You might think that your electronics only consume electricity when they are actually in use, but this is a common oversight. Even when powered off while plugged in, devices and appliances still drain small amounts of electricity from the main power grid. Although the incremental amounts are small, they can make up a large portion of your overall energy costs. Unplug anything you are not using or turn the power off at the wall to prevent these phantom loads from driving your electricity bills higher.
Use a Larger Air Conditioning Unit
Air conditioners can be quite costly, so you might be considering a smaller unit to save on your initial investment. However, this can be an expensive mistake in the long run. If the air conditioner is not powerful enough to accommodate the size of your home, especially if you have an open floor plan, it will have to work much harder to keep the space cool. This results in much higher energy usage for air conditioning. Instead, pay a bit more initially for a larger unit to see savings over the long term.
Upgrade Your Appliances
Appliances make up a large portion of the energy usage in a typical household, and older models use far more electricity than newer ones. As technology has advanced and energy efficiency regulations have increased, newer appliances have much lower power needs than those of the past. If you haven’t upgraded your appliances in a long time, getting something new can make a big difference in your annual electricity costs. To find those that are most efficient, look for appliances with high Energy Star ratings.
Switch to LED Lights
Halogen and incandescent bulbs, while affordable, aren’t known for their energy efficiency. Modern LED lights, on the other hand, use only a tiny amount of power to operate. Not only that, but they also last significantly longer. This means that you won’t just save money on your electricity bills but on light bulb replacement costs as well. You’ll pay a little bit more for the bulbs initially, but you likely won’t need to replace them for many years to come.
Small Steps Can Make a Big Difference
When you first start working to slash your electricity costs, it may take a bit of time before you start to see the savings. However, the more you do, the lower your bills will get, giving you even more motivation to keep taking steps to reduce your energy usage. Then, you can spend those savings to do something fun with your loved ones!
