Electricity is essential for your home but can also create a financial burden. While you can’t eliminate your need for electricity, there are steps you can take to reduce your consumption and lower your bills quickly. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
1. Get your HVAC system checked annually.
Your furnace and air conditioner need to be checked annually to ensure they are running properly. While waiting until there is a problem that may make you feel like you are saving money, you are actually going to spend significantly more when you need emergency repairs. You will also be paying more on your energy bills when your systems are not running efficiently. Fresh filters and annual maintenance will ensure your AC unit is running at its optimal level and alert you of problems early before your air conditioner breaks down. An air conditioner maintenance service is critical to lowering your monthly utilities and keeping them as low as possible, and regular maintenance helps prevent the high cost of an emergency fix.
2. Keep your appliances running efficiently.
Next to your HVAC systems, your appliances are going to create the biggest drain on your utility bills. When your appliances are running inefficiently, they use far more electricity than they should keep running. When you experience problems with your appliances, it is essential not to ignore them. Appliance repair can be a small expense that creates a significant impact on your utility bills. Refrigerators are one of the biggest culprits when it comes to running inefficiently. If your refrigerator is leaking water, freezing up, or having trouble maintaining temperature, you need to call professionals for repairs.
3. Replace old doors and windows.
Old doors and windows can drastically increase your energy bills as your furnace, and air conditioner will be running more to maintain your home’s temperature. With new doors and windows, the temperature inside your home will be maintained with less effort because you won’t have air leaking in and out. If you cannot replace your doors and windows at this time, you can reseal them and get heavy curtains for the winter months to cut down on temperature loss.
4. Stop wasting electricity.
Turn things off when they are not in use. While this may seem like common sense, many people leave lights on all the time, leave televisions on when no one is watching them, leave fans running in rooms with no people. Even adjusting your thermostat for when you aren’t home will help decrease your overall usage and lower your electric bill. If you have children to blame for leaving things on all the time, you can set everything up with timers or through a smart home system that will allow you to shut everything off remotely.
5. Make sure your house is properly insulated.
Similarly to leaking doors and windows, if your home is not properly insulated, your furnace and air conditioner are going to be working significantly harder to maintain the temperature of your house. You can have the insulation in your home inspected to ensure it is thick enough to provide proper protection. If you do not have enough insulation, it can be remedied without damage to your home using spray-in insulation.
Take to the outdoors.
Although the five ideas above will significantly reduce your electric bill, they require an investment in your home. Another simple and fun way to reduce your electric bill in the summer is to grill out as often as possible. Grilling will reduce the amount you use your stove and oven, but it will also reduce how much your air conditioner is running. When you have your stove and oven on, it heats the house and will cause the air conditioner to kick on.
