Whether you rent or pay a mortgage, living anywhere can be expensive these days. Household expenses can make you feel like there’s never quite enough money to go around.
Saving money isn’t as easy as it sounds either. While cutting down on unnecessary expenses is a good start, there are other ways to save money at home. One of those is to reduce the amount of energy you use each day.
Use this guide to learn five tricks to save energy at home and reduce your bills at the same time.
1. Turn Your AC Down
Running your air conditioning isn’t always a choice on the hottest days of spring and summer. Where you set the thermostat really can make a huge difference.
Setting your thermostat between 75 and 78 instead of 72 can help you save more than 10% on your bill each month. You may not even notice a huge difference if your home generally stays on the cooler side anyway.
2. Use Ceiling Fans
Air conditioning costs a lot of money, but nobody wants to be in a sweltering home or apartment. If you have a ceiling fan, you can cool the temperature down without relying solely on AC.
3. Reduce Your Water Temperature
Your water heater can take up to 20% of the real estate on your energy bill. Consuming water that’s just a little less hot can make a difference.
Turn your water heater’s temperature down to 120-degrees to 130-degrees. This will help reduce your monthly bill.
4. Turn Your Computer Off
Most people know that they should unplug their appliances or put them on power strips. This is especially important with electronics that go into standby mode. They continue to use power even when you’re not in the room.
Turning your computer off when it’s not in use could save you roughly a quarter a day. That’s not much, but over the course of a single year, that’s $75.
5. Don’t Forget the CFLs
Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) can help you save about 10% on your energy bill per month. If you haven’t made the switch to CFLs yet, now is the time to stock up. You can replace your overhead bulbs and lamps when existing bulbs burn out.
CFLs also last longer, which can help you save money as well.
These tips might be simple, but they can help you save real money. Over a whole year, the savings can add up to something substantial too!
