Published by Allen Brown
It’s been an eventful couple of years, to say the least, but the fact of the matter is that everyone’s lives have been affected in one way or another. It’s safe to say that the majority of us are having to spend much more time at home than we ever have before in our adult lives. Consequently, expenses change, the most prevalent one being the electricity bill. This is obvious because we’re utilizing our homes for longer hours. This is where we need to take a step back, assess our energy consumption, and start to make a plan towards reducing the consumption and our power bills along with it. If you’re not sure where to start, we’re going to provide you with simple and easy tips to get you started.
Make it a Habit to Switch Everything Off
Gone are the days where we can walk around the house and have everything switched on all the time. It just doesn’t make any sense. It’s important for you to start consciously paying attention to every single power outlet in your home, and bring in the rest of the family on this habit. Whenever you’re done using an appliance, make sure that you not only switch it off but unplug it from the main energy source as well. It’s important to note that anything that is still plugged in, even if you’re not using it, will be using some energy. The same goes for any electronic devices or chargers, or even lights around the house. If you don’t need to use it right there and then, switch it off. You’ll soon see a drastic drop in your electric bills.
Change Your Lightbulbs
It’s important to realize that not all lightbulbs are the same, and there’s a huge possibility that the bulbs that are being used in your home are eating up a considerably huge chunk of power when in use. LED bulbs are great and are designed to be energy efficient. If you go for the LED 60-Watt light bulb you’ll find that it actually consumes up to 80 percent less power than standard light bulbs do. Another great feature is that most of these new-age energy-efficient bulbs actually last a lot longer and also don’t heat up, so you don’t have to worry about them popping or burning your lampshade- or your fingers when you try to change it!
Invest in Energy Efficient Appliances
Another factor that guzzles up electricity like nobody’s business is the appliances that you use around the house. The good news is that there are so many new appliances on the market that are designed to be environmentally friendly and take up the bare minimum when it comes to power while performing just as well, if not better, than the older versions. This is why it’s time for you to throw out the old and bring in the new. This means your toaster, fridge, washing machine, and even your TV and vacuum cleaner, amongst other things.
Have the Professionals Do the Maintenance
Something that we may often overlook is the effect of wear and tear on many appliances, and how this causes them to take up much more electricity than they actually should. This is why it’s so important for you to make it a habit and priority to get the proper maintenance done. This means your HVAC systems need a good check-up every few months to make sure that the filters are cleaned or changed if need be. In the winter make sure that your thermostat is working properly so that you’re not consuming more energy than you need to be, and get someone in to seal off your windows and doors properly because this helps a great deal in both the winter and summer.
The tips provided here are easy and straightforward, but once you are actually able to make this a part of normal life, you’ll find that it will drastically lower your electric bills. The more time we spend at home, naturally, the more energy we will have to consume. However, there is a smart way to handle this, and it is by simply being more conscious of your surroundings and your daily energy consumption. If you make it a point to assess what you do every day, it will make it that much easier to control the routines and implement habits that will allow you and the rest of your family to be more careful as you use items around the house.