Utility bills in most countries can sometimes become financially breaking, especially in the US and Australia. Spending a couple of thousand dollars on utility bills every year is not that uncommon. With summer on our doorsteps, a steep rise in utility bills is also expected- you’re reading this article at the right time. To help you avoid wasting money on expensive utility bills, we’ve gathered a few tips and tricks that should put that money back where it belongs.
Heating and Cooling
Naturally, the most energy-hogging utility is the HVAC system. Since you may not be able to completely forgo these processes, you’ll have to find different ways to ease up their usage of electricity.
Sealing Issues
You need to do a quick round of checking on the condition of the sealing of your appliances, windows, and doors. The fridge can be leaking cold air, which may get the heating system to work harder than it should, not to mention that the fridge will need more electricity to stay cool. Bad seals are very easy to fix, but they can often be overlooked and end up costing you a lot of unnecessary energy bills.
Thermostat
A good trick to reduce your cooling and heating energy consumption is to use your thermostat properly. If you’re sleeping or away from home, set your thermostat a few levels below the normal temperature in winter and a few levels above in summer. A programmable thermostat can do this for you automatically, which can shave around 10-15% of the total bill.
Checking the Ducts
Leaky ducts may be quite harder to discover than window or fridge seals, which is why it’s very important to have a professional check out the ventilation and air conditioning ducts every once in a while to ensure that they’re not leaking.
Solar Power
In cities like Brisbane, the average utility bill is around $1,600. The benefits of Brisbane solar power when it comes to energy-efficiency can save you up to $2,000 in electricity bills per year. As fossil fuels are getting more expensive over the years, switching to a cheap and environmentally friendly solution is going to help crush your utility bills in the long run. You’ll basically be getting free electricity from your solar panels. Of course, the initial investment isn’t cheap, but it’s incredibly wise in any long-term energy-saving plan.
Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs
At first glance, lighting is harmless energy-wise, but you wouldn’t believe how the wrong lighting bulbs and setup can drain energy. It’s important to make sure that your lighting bulbs are energy-efficient, especially the ones that you use the most. Look for CFLs and LED bulbs, which are environmental-friendly and use less energy.
Replacing Old Appliances
By replacing old appliances with new energy-efficient ones, you’ll be doing the environment a favor by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while paying fewer utility bills. Most major manufacturers are constantly trying to improve their efficiency standards. Replacing your old appliances is a bit of costly initial investment, but it really pays off in the long run, saving you hundreds of dollars worth of bills every year.
Save on Water
Aside from the known fact that clean and good water is getting harder to come by, wasting it can cost you more in bills. Hot water requires a considerable amount of energy to be available, making it one of the largest expenses in powering homes. Try taking shorter showers to reduce the amount of hot water needed, in addition to using more efficient showerheads that have the potential to reduce your water usage by around 2,700 gallons per year.
Dripping faucets are an obvious problem that you need to take care of as soon as possible. Aside from the infamously annoying noise, it can waste gallons of water that you are much better off saving. If you’re washing your clothes in hot water, make the effort to gradually shift to using cold water because that alone can cut the energy expenses of doing laundry to half.
Unplug Unused Appliances
Anything that’s plugged into electricity ports is consuming electricity even if you aren’t currently using them at all. You need to make a habit of unplugging unused appliances, which can be managed if you are using a power strip that’s easy to access. A smart idea would be using a smart power strip that can manage the flow of electricity to appliances that are only in use.
Fortunately, there are a lot of cost-effective solutions that can help you reduce your energy bill without making a dent in your wallet. In some cases, you may need to invest in a few energy-saving solutions that can be initially a bit costly. If you manage to reduce your utility bills, you’re basically putting back that money in your wallet.