Electricity is an essential commodity in this day and age; there is hardly any household or business that doesn’t use it for their day to day activities. It can be used to power household appliances and office equipment and in addition make the atmosphere conducive by either heating or cooling.
Due to the importance of this commodity and its intrinsic part in human life, no one can afford to be without it. This therefore makes it an essential monthly bill that must not be missed. Sometimes however, these bills get so overwhelming that they become a burden. In this article, we will share some tips on how to save money on electricity bills by conversing power.
Tips for Conserving Electricity
Conserving electricity is good for the environment and in addition, the consumer can save money on electricity bills. You can reduce your electricity bills to a large extent by just making small adjustments to your daily lifestyle and habits. Meanwhile, you can read this article to find out the benefits of conserving electricity.
Below are some tips and hacks to help you lower your bills by conserving electricity:-
1. Use LED Light Bulbs
Switching to LED bulbs is one of the simplest ways to conserve electricity. This is because LED bulbs use at least 80% less electricity than the conventional bulbs; in addition to that they also last 25 times longer. Although the initial cost of purchase of these bulbs is high, it is cost efficient at the end of the day. This is because it uses less power and has long lifespan (this means you will not have to change them too often) which translates to money saved. .
2. Use Natural Light More Often
Another way to conserve energy is by using natural light more often. Open your blinds and curtains at daytime and allow natural light into your house. This in addition to helping to save energy will also add warmth and a welcoming ambience to your home.
In case your home design doesn’t allow sufficient sunlight in, you should think of adding skylights. You can also install reflective surfaces that will help to distribute light in the house.
3. Always Turn off Appliances and Bulbs when not in use
Turning off your bulbs and appliances when they are not in use is a good way of conserving power and saving on your electricity bill. Do not forget to put off the light when you leave a room and also unplug unused appliances. This is because these appliances continue to use power even when they are turned off. Unplugging them ensures that you save more electricity.
4. Use Power Strips
Power strips are devices that are used to plug and power multiple appliances or devices. It is also a great way of saving energy because you use less power since you turn off all the appliances plugged to it from one source. This is particularly useful for appliances that use standby power such as computers and TVs
5. Use Energy- Saving Appliances
Energy saving appliances are specifically designed to use less electricity than conventional appliances. These appliances are sometimes costlier than the conventional types but in the long run they help you save money on your electricity bills. Some of these appliances also qualify the user for rebates or other incentives from the government.
6. Use a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat is the type that allows the user to set different temperatures for different times of the day. So when you are not at home or sleeping, the thermostat can regulate the temperature in such a way that it will conserve energy. This also contributes to lower electricity bill.
7. Seal Air Leaks
Air leaks in a building can lead to loss of heat in winter and cool air in summer. This increases power bill because more heating or cooling will be needed to regulate the temperature of the space. So one simple way to deal with this issue is to seal the spaces through which the air leaks out. All you need to do is use caulk or weather strips to seal the leaks.
8. Install and Use Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans helps to circulate cool air all over a space; so if you install ceiling fans in your home, they help augment the air conditioners. This means that you can switch off the ACs from time to time or turn down the temperature and the space will remain cool. During winter, you can reverse the direction of the fans so that they blow and circulate warm air. This hack will help you save money on your power bill.
9. Reduce the Use of Hot Water
Some people use hot water indiscriminately without noting that it affects their power bills. So consciously checking and reducing the use of hot water can help you save money. One way you can do this is by taking shorter showers or by installing low flow showerheads.
Another way of reducing hot water use is by turning down the temperature of the water heater and washing your cloths with cold water.
10. Use Solar Energy
Solar panels are devices that help you generate your own electricity, helping you become less reliant on electricity companies. Although the initial cost of installing solar panels are quite high, you will ultimately save money; this is in addition to the independence from electricity companies.
Furthermore, you can sell excess energy to the grid in the event that you generate more than you need. One thing to bear in is to make enquiries from your local government whether there are rebates or other incentives for the use of green energy. You can go to https://www.bestestrøm.no/ where you will find helpful information. You may even learn how to find a rebate that will help you offset the cost of installation.
11. Optimize the Setting of your Computer
Computers are appliances that consume energy most in a lot of households. Therefore to conserve energy, you can optimize the setting of the computers. You should turn them off when they are not in use or set them to hibernate if they are inactive for a certain period of time.
Additionally, you can adjust the display setting and also turn off features that are unnecessary to cut down on energy usage.
12. Sun-dry your Clothes
Use a drying rack or clothesline to sun- dry your clothes instead of using a machine as it has been discovered that tumble dryers consume a lot of energy. So reducing the use of this energy heavy appliance can go a long way in cutting down cost electricity wise.
An additional benefit of sun-drying is that hanging out clothes to dry reduces wear and tear on the clothes.
13. Conduct Energy Audit
An audit is a process of accessing situations to ascertain factors that are working well or those that need improvement. A financial audit has to do with money but in this case we are talking about an energy audit. This means that we are accessing energy usage to find out areas of misuse, overuse or other issues that affect the bill at the end of the month.
This assessment will help you identify how you can improve your energy efficiency and save money. You can either carry out this audit yourself or engage the services of a professional.
Conclusion
Everyone loves to save money and that is why we have shared the above tips to help you save money on your electricity bills. Bear in mind that the tips shared here are not the only things you can do but if you adhere to the tips shared here religiously, you will be amazed at how much you will save on a monthly basis.