How to Save Money on Electric Bills

You have just received you electricity bill and it has rocked your monthly budget totally. Now, you start searching for ways to cut back on the bill, making drastic lifestyle changes and investing in costly energy-saving appliances. Hold on! Before you advance any further on either of the two decisions, sit back and have a look at some low-cost and minimal effort tips for reducing electricity bill, provided below. Neither do they cost too much, nor do they require any massive efforts on your part. All you need to do is adopt certain inconsequential habits and when the next electric bill comes, you are definitely going to be surprised, pleasantly of course. So, check out some of the best ways to save money on your electric bill.

How to Save Money on Electric Bills

Turn off the lights the moment you go out of a room. Leaving them on unnecessarily only adds to the electricity bill.
In case of work in a particular area, like study table, make use of task lighting, like table lamps, instead of lighting the whole room.
Replace incandescent lamps (regular light bulbs) with compact fluorescent lights. Though costly, they bring down your electric bill considerably.
In case you want to use incandescent lamps, go for the ones that have a light dimmer. When you don’t need too much light, dim them and save on power.
Regularly clean your lamps and light fixtures. Even the slightest layer of dust can reduce light levels.
Try to avoid AC and use fans as much as you can. If and when you use AC, try to lower the settings, from high to medium or low.
In case of portable and baseboard electric heaters, try to set the temperature a couple of degrees lower.
During winter time, try to let in as much sunlight as possible. It will reduce the need for heaters.
In summer season, ensure proper ventilation in your house. This can diminish your need for tuning on the AC.
During summers, use thick curtains and window shades to reduce sunlight. This way, the room temperature will be lower than usual.
Keep your printer switched off, when not in use. At the same, turn off your computer when not in use, even if you will be gone for 15 minutes.
When inside the house, switch off your answering machine. At the same time, turn off TV's, Video Cassette recorders, DVD players and Cable TV converters, when not in use.
While using the hairdryer, keep the setting slightly lower than the maximum. It will reduce the power bill and also save your scalp.
In case of frozen foods, take them out of the freezer and keep in the refrigerator, sometime before cooking.
Always remember that smaller appliances use less electricity. So, while buying a toaster, don't buy an extra long slot one if you are not going to use the extra long slots.
Keep the refrigerator section between 2C and 5C (36 to 42° F,) and the freezer at -18C (0° F). This will ensure food safety, while reducing the use of power. Any lower temperature will increase power consumption.
Don't run the dishwasher until it is completely full. After washing the dishes, let them dry at room temperature.

How to Cite

Related Articles

See also

More in 'Society'