Utility bills tend to be a large monthly expense that can be reduced with a few simple steps. Utility bills may always be eating up a significant portion of your paycheck, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t need to move or rebuild your home. All you need to do is to perform a few simple tasks to save money on your utilities.
1. Check the Quality of Your Home’s Insulation
The United States Department of Energy released startling statistics about how much the average family spends on heating and cooling. Of the total of all the utility bills a family pays for, heating costs around 31% and cooling costs around 12%. That makes ensuring that your home captures and retains the proper heat and coolness for as long as possible vital in reducing your bills. Ensure that your home’s insulation in the walls, the attic and crawl spaces, around the water heater and above your ceilings are effective.
2. Stop Air Leaks
Another way to save on your heating and cooling is to seal space between doors and windows that can cause drafts. Consider getting more efficient windows that will keep the heat or cool air in your home. Check outside for air cracks, holes and other pathways that air can escape through. Plumbing pipes, doors, windows and electrical outlets are all common places air can escape through and will cause your utility bills to go up.
3. Maintain Your Appliances
Another source for inefficiency comes from poorly maintained home appliances. Some important things to do are change your air \conditioner’s filter regularly, clean air ducts connected to the heat and air system, and keep the backs of refrigerators and freezer appliances free of dust and other debris.
4. Search for Hidden Energy Wasters
Older computers and televisions can drain electricity even when they’re not in use. This tends to happen to keep things like settings for your devices saved. When you’re not using your devices, try to unplug them. This may produce a modest energy-saving effect that can help cut utility bill costs. Make sure you turn off lights, TV and stereo systems when not in use.
5. Consider Changing the Lighting in your Home
Changing your light fixtures or updating the lighting in your home is a great way to save on utilities, suggests a licensed electrician in Houston. Lighting fixtures tend to be the number one reason for high energy bills, but only because they’re energy inefficient. Speak to an electrician about energy saving alternatives, such as installing compact fluorescent light bulbs and installing Energy Star-compliant lighting fixtures. You can also consider installing light dimmers to save on electric bills.
Saving on your utility bills is possible with due diligence a few cost-effective changes. Investing a little bit of money into doing this can save you thousands of dollars in the long run.
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