In 2019, the average residential utility customer used close to 10,649 kilowatt-hours of electricity. By the close of this year, the rate of electricity consumption in the United States will be higher than in any other year, considering that most people have been indoors.
Have you been receiving mind-boggling electricity bills in recent times, and you wonder what to do?
With the current harsh economic times, any tip that can help you enhance energy efficiency is welcome. Most Americans don’t know how to save on electricity consumption in their homes. The surprise is that it does not take rocket science to actualize some of these tips.
Here, we discuss how to lower your electricity bill and achieve high levels of energy efficiency. Read on to learn vital energy-saving tips.
Contents
1. Turn off Electronics When Not in Use
Electronics are some of the worst energy vampires. Sometimes, out of sheer absentmindedness, you might end up having your stereo, computer, television, and other electronic devices all switched on at the same time. If these electronics aren’t in use, they tend to sup up too much energy for no reason.
The first and most essential step you must take is to double-check your electronics and be prompt to turn off any gadget that isn’t in use. As long as that little light on your gadget is on, you might end up having to pay for some extra kilowatts-hours at the end of the month.
The other option would be to enable power saving mode for all your electronics that have this feature. Power saving mode ensures that the electronics go into sleep mode within the first few minutes of idle time.
2. Line Dry Your Clothes
Did you know that some states in the United States, such as Washington, enjoy up to 15 hours of daylight during summer? With such extents of daylight, who needs electricity to dry clothes? The best way to ensure that you keep your electricity bills low is to consider the sun as a natural cloth drying option.
What most Americans don’t know is that the electronic dryer is dang expensive. Unless you are dealing with an urgent situation or during the cold winters, using the dryer should be your last resort. The best thing about sun drying is that there’s minimal or no effect on your fabrics’ quality.
You only need a fancy drying rack or retractable stainless lines, and you’ll be good to go. You would marvel at how much savings you can achieve if you opt to go green when drying your clothes.
3. Consider Energy Saving Bulbs
With the broadening scope of technology, LED bulbs have become super popular. When you think about it, lighting can be a significant energy sucker at home. Both residential and commercial consumers of energy in the USA used close to 216 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity on lighting alone in 2019.
Such high rates of energy use on lighting can be overwhelming. This is more so given that lighting is critical, especially at night.
You cannot overlook the need for lighting in your home. One of the easiest ways to save on electricity would be to go for energy-saving bulbs.
While you might have to incur a high initial purchase cost when buying these bulbs, they offer much more savings than regular bulbs. LED bulbs use much less energy and are more durable. If you’re looking for ways to save on energy costs, then settling for energy-efficient bulbs is a sure way of staying afloat with the bills.
4. Turn off Lights When Necessary
This may sound obvious but think about it. How many times do your kids and other family members leave lights on?
The cumulative cost of such idle lights can shock you. Even when you have multiple energy-saving bulbs, you still can’t afford to have your lights on at all times.
During the current pandemic, you’ll have to make do with more home time. As such, it may help to foster a sense of responsibility among family members. This involves ensuring that lights are off at all times when no one is in the rooms.
5. Consider Motion Sensors for Outdoor Lighting
Outdoor lighting is critical for security purposes. However, it can also be a source of tremendous energy wastage.
While you don’t want to limit the extent of light in your outdoor, you also don’t want to waste too much energy. Using motion sensors for your outdoor lighting is one of the best ways to save on electricity.
Most motion sensors have phantom energy features that allow outdoor lighting functions only when motion is detected.
6. Switch Energy Supplier
Are you wondering how to save on electricity costs? One of the surest ways around this dilemma is to switch your current electricity supplier. The current regulations allow you to switch your current energy supplier every 28 days.
Research shows that this move saves you hundreds of dollars every year. This is one of the ways of ensuring that your energy bills remain in check. All you need is to make a quick energy comparison between the various companies and then decide which supplier will work for you.
Switching your electricity supplier is one of the easiest ways to ensure speedy demand and response to your consumption.
7. Go for Energy Star Appliances
A good number of consumers don’t know this, but most approved energy-efficient appliances have an energy star rating. These appliances use at least 10-50% less electricity compared to non-star appliances. The United States Environmental Protection Agency sets out strict measures before an appliance can receive this star rating.
Considering that appliances eat up close to 20% of your household’s consumption, it would make sense to consider settling for energy-efficient options. Such appliances have a unique star rating that confirms compliance.
This Is How to Save on Electricity Costs
Americans spend a lot on electricity bills every year. The trend has been worse during the current pandemic, where most people spend a lot of time indoors. Knowing how to save on electricity during this season can help you save some money.
With these tips on how to save on energy, you can kiss those high energy costs goodbye for good.
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