How to Save Money on Your Utility Bill
In 2019, a Canadian household spent $2500+ on energy costs, which is $210 a month, not considering basic living, rent, school, transportation, or childcare. In 2023, the Covid restrictions will be gone, and we can do the things we love to do again. While returning to outdoor activities, we still want to save money where we can. We can always start at home, and here are some simple tips we can use daily to save. We will focus on things we can do or buy for our homes to help keep energy costs.
- Windows and Doors
If you live in an older house, you may find it to be more drafty or cooler when the winter months start. If you renovate your house, adding more insulation or making the home as airtight as possible can save you up to $200.00 a year. You can even do these repairs yourself with caulk, new weatherstripping, or window insulation kits.
- Phantom Power
Phantom power, better known as standby power, is when all electrical objects such as the tv, DVD players, stereos, and lamps are turned off. Unplugging them from the socket would be even better to save energy. If you use power bars to plug everything in, switching the power bar off and then unplugging it from the wall will help save on energy costs.
- Dryers – for your laundry or your hair
Having washers and dryers is convenient to have at home, and it can also cause a more expensive energy bill. Switching to Energy Star-certified appliances can help save you and your family money. You can also hang dry your laundry and keep 100% of the drying costs.
Hair dryers are a convenient way to dry your hair quickly. They need to be plugged in to power them on, so if you keep them plugged in for a while, not in use, they will be using phantom power. So always remember to unplug them. You can also save energy and money by air-drying your hair or using a towel.
- Finding alternatives to your oven
Ovens use a lot of electricity, and there are other alternatives that we can use to save energy other than the oven. We can use microwaves, a crock pot, or a toaster oven to heat our food.
- Buy some rugs and textiles
Not all homes have wall-to-wall carpets. For homes that don’t have carpets, you can use area rugs for extra insulation and warmth for your feet. You can go for wool rugs, considered the gold standard in insulated area rugs. If you are shopping for a new area rug, there are two different kinds to consider. Insulated rug pads are available in other materials and thicknesses. A heated or thermal rug mat can heat an area rug and be as warm as 75 to 80 degrees.
- Adjusting your thermostat
We all want to save energy, so when you’re on your way out, you can lower the thermostat so that you don’t waste any extra energy while you’re gone. Keeping your furnace low while you’re out will help save you money.
- Lighting
During the day, we can use the Suns natural lighting to illuminate the home, which can warm the house. Turning off the lights when you leave the room or keeping the lights off when no one is using that room. You can also use Table Lamps as alternative lighting for any room; lamps use less energy than ceiling lights.
According to the Department of Energy, the average home has 40 to 45 light bulb sockets. Lighting alone accounts for 5 or 10 percent of your hydro bill. LED and CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp) bulbs are far more energy efficient than the traditional incandescent light bulb.
In the United States, the generations ages 25 to 34 have replaced their bulbs with the energy efficient bulbs to help conserve energy and save money. Also, LED and CFL bulbs last longer than the Incandescent bulbs and replacing them will not be as often.
- Stop wasting water
We all want to do our part not to waste water. Some of us have leaky faucets, or when we brush our teeth or shave, we keep the water running. Fixing leaky faucets and keeping the water off while brushing our teeth will have to save water costs.
- Laptops are in, and desktops are out
Some people use computers at home; other people have laptops. Desktop computers must be constantly plugged in to use them, and laptops only need to be plugged in to charge them. Laptops are more energy efficient than desktop computers, just like appliances, computers, and laptops come with energy star ratings.
- Maintaining the furnace
Keeping our homes warm using the furnace can use a lot of energy. Ensuring your furnace is maintained and working correctly by checking and cleaning the furnace filters and vents will help keep it maintained and warm the home.
There are many steps we can take every day to reduce energy consumption and save money at the same time. As life becomes more expensive, we must find ways to conserve energy and money to care for our families. Saving energy can help save money, and all it takes is changing a few of your daily routines and replacing Incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs, which last twice as long. The tips in this article can help you start saving more energy, or you can research other tips around the house while saving money for you and your family.
By: Tricia Cook, Content Navigator