If there is one thing that can easily accumulate on costs, that would be your electric bill. Leave one thing plugged for an entire day and you are looking at a few more additional dollars. While it may be easy to increase your bill, it also means that you have a lot of options for cutting it down as well.
The question is, how? Who better to answer this question than the women who manage the house? If there is someone who knows the ins and outs of everything at home, it’s the moms. Here are the tips they can give for a cheaper electric bill.
Unplug/Use a Power Strip
There is a phenomenon called a phantom load. It is the electricity appliances use when they are plugged in, but not turned on. That’s right, even if you are not using a device if it is plugged in, it is consuming electricity. So, when not in use, unplug.
However, everybody knows how tedious frequent unplugging can get. Not to mention the potential for damaging the plugs and sockets. That’s why it would be more ideal to use a power strip with individual switches. So, you don’t have to unplug, but instead, press a switch when not using an appliance.
Full Loading
Regardless of how full the washing machine or dishwasher is, it will inevitably use the same amount of energy. So, instead of loading it half-full, might as well load it to its maximum capacity to make the most of the energy being used. There are many ways to save money here. Check out this article by energy.gov which talks about 16 ways to save money in the laundry room.
Going Manual
Everything can be done by an electric appliance these days. However, you still have the option of going back to the traditional approach that doesn’t need electricity. When you cut down on daily usage on a single appliance, it can translate to huge savings at the end of the month. One of the things you can do manually is doing the dishes. Another much simpler task would be skipping the vacuum and sweeping the floor.
Make Use of Natural Energy
You don’t necessarily have to use the dishwasher to dry the dishes nor the dryer for the clothes. There is a natural way to do that and that is with the help of ambient air and the heat of the sun. Keep the dishwasher open to airdry everything. Hang wet clothes on hangers and leave them under the sun. You’d be amazed at the savings you’d be making.
Other things you can do to make use of all the natural energy around you is opening the curtains for ventilation and skipping the microwave when defrosting. When you start doing things naturally, you realize how much of everyday tasks can be done without the use of appliances.
Use Natural Light During the Day
When it is bright out, there is no reason for you to turn on the lights. When everything is a little dim, open the curtains and you’d be having more than you asked for. A couple of bulbs running for a few hours can easily add a distinguishable amount on your electric bill. How much more if it is done every day. This article by Better Homes and Gardens has an awesome blog which gives you all the tips to bring natural light in your house and save energy.
Replace Old Technology
New appliances are much more energy-efficient. It may only be a few watts, but when compiled for an entire month, it can easily become a huge amount of money being saved. Among the appliances you’d want to be energy-efficient are your refrigerator, air-conditioning unit, and most importantly, your light bulbs.
If you are still running incandescent bulbs, it is time to replace them with LED alternatives. Not only do they use lesser energy, but they are brighter as well, requiring you to use lesser bulbs than you used to.
Only use most power-efficient appliances and avoid most power-consuming appliances. These heavy consumers of power can increase your power bills and you won’t even realise why you got such a hefty bill.
Getting Appliances Frequently Checked
Your appliances will deteriorate over time and in turn, result in stronger energy consumption. So, make sure that they are frequently maintained and cleaned. For example, the filters of your air-conditioning unit can get clogged to a point that it barely pushes out any air. As a result, it urges you to crank up the settings.
As the saying goes, mothers know best. In this situation, they know how to keep electric bills low. Being the head of the house, moms have a great understanding of the ins and outs of how everything works. So, they are bound to know for a fact what makes up a hefty electric bill.
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