Tips for Saving on Your Electric Bill
November 21, 2011 by admin
Filed under Guest Posts
This post was provided by the Austin real estate experts at Realty Austin
One of the biggest but most manageable expenses associated with home ownership are utility costs. Electricity bills can be especially expensive for homeowners. As you probably already know, costs can change drastically season by season and sometimes soar so high that you can run up an excess of hundreds of dollars in cost if you are not careful. Luckily there are many easy ways to manage your electricity use and keep your costs down. Here are our top tips for saving on your electricity bill year-round.
Lights Out!
The first and easiest way to save is to get in the habit of turning off lights when not in use. Be sure to also assess your home lighting. You may find that there are bulbs that use excess wattage or just are not practical for use in your kitchen or bedroom. One easy solution is switching over to energy-efficient bulbs. LED bulbs provide high-quality lighting and use less energy than traditional light bulbs, making them not only better for the environment but most cost-effective, too. Best of all, these bulbs last up to
100,000 hours, or several years.
Inspect Your Appliances
Staying on top of your refrigerator maintenance is key to energy efficiency. First, make sure the cooling coils in both the refrigerator and the freezer are clear. Cleaning the vent in the bottom and back of the unit will also help it run better. Lastly, do a regular defrosting to get rid of thick ice surrounding the freezer container. For the other appliances, the simple practice would be to turn them off and unplug them when not in use.
Mind your Wattage
Procure a wattage meter that can measure how much electricity the devices around your home are using. They can be purchased for about $20, and provide a quick do-it-yourself method for effectively monitoring your energy consumption.
While some of these tips require extra effort on your part, they will result in long-term benefits you will appreciate. Think green and you’ll see the saving begin to pile up!
