Lower Your Electric Bill

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Electric bill got you down? Fight back with this energy – saving ideas

Keep your fridge and freezer full
Food acts as insulation and lessens the amount of time that the fridge has to run to stay cool.

Clear your refrigerator’s coil
When your refrigerator has dirty condenser coils it has to work harder to cool your foods. Perform maintenance once every three months to optimize its efficiency.

Don’t put uncovered foods/drinks in the refrigerator
Condensation makes the fridge work harder and costs you more money.

Allow foods to cool before putting them in the refrigerator
Placing hot foods in your fridge will increase the interior temperature and cause your refrigerator to work harder.

Only wash full loads
Your washing machine and dish washer use a lot of electricity. Minimise the drain by only washing full loads.

Wash laundry in cold water
90% of the energy consumed by your washing machine goes to heating water. Turn the dial to cold and skip the bill.

Clean your dryer lint trap
If you use a drying machine, remove the lint from your dryer trap after each load to maximize its efficiency. Then scrub it down with soapy water and a brush once every couple months to remove any additional lint trapped in the screen.

Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs
CFL light bulbs use four times less energy than incandescent bulbs. Switch out the most widely used bulbs in your home. Then replace the rest as they burn out.

Shield your home from the sun
Cut down on your air conditioning use by closing curtains and blinds on the sunny side of your home. For even more savings, consider installing tinted window film.

Schedule yearly AC maintenance
Increase the efficiency of your AC system by having it inspected and cleaned once a year. Added bonus: cleaner air in your home.

Install ceiling fan
Keeping the air circulating in your home reduces the amount of work your air conditioner has to do.

Landscape for shade
Plant trees to shade your home and your air conditioning won’t have to work as hard.


Eliminate phantom loads
A surprising 75% of the energy used by home electronics is consumed when they are turned off. These “phantom” users include: TVs, VCRs, Stereos, computers and many kitchen appliances. Look for anything with a digital clock. A simple solution? Plug all of these items in to power strips and then get in the habit of turning off the strips between uses.

Lower the temperature on your hot water heater
13% of your home electricity goes to heating water. You can lower this percentage by setting your hot water heater to 130 ~ 140 degrees. For even more savings, install an insulation jacket, and insulate the first six feet of piping that comes off of your heater.

Install low flow shower head
Less water flowing through your shower head means less water to heat.

Cook with the lids on
Foods cook faster with lids on because the heat can’t escape.

Source: Home Builder