Savvy Moms Know These 7 Tips To Cut Your Energy Bills In Half

 

Any mom will know just how busy and expensive life can get, making it important to save both time and money. That’s why so many parents seek ways to clean their house easier or to reduce their monthly expenditure.

One area of peoples’ lives that can drain their finances relates to energy bills, yet people can’t live without having gas and electricity every day. Fortunately, there are tangible ways you can reduce these costs, sometimes by up to one-half. If you’re keen to find out what they are, why not read on?

1. Visit Price Comparison Websites

They can be the best way to find energy companies offering the cheapest rates. The work will have been done for you, so all you need to do is enter some basic information. The more data you supply (e.g. regarding your current usage), the more accurate will be the search results.

As at 2021, Houston, Texas has a population of 2,323,660 people. People looking for Houston electricity rates can go online and compare the different plans offered by the best suppliers. They can view the deals side by side and learn about the monthly terms, plan names and rate/kWh. You can also find the best 100% renewable green energy plans or commercial electricity rates for businesses.

2. Replace Your Bulbs

Incandescent bulbs are the type used for many years in homes and businesses, but they are inefficient cost-wise. LED versions are currently the highest quality bulbs on the market, using 75% less power than standard bulbs and lasting over five times longer. They are not suitable for use with dimmer switches, however.

Some people replace their bulbs with CFL versions, which are also an upgrade from traditional bulbs. They last up to ten times longer and can save you 75% on energy costs over their lifetime. The downside to CFLs is that many people complain about how bright they appear even when turned down and because you also need special fixtures.

3. Insulate Your Home

There are many suitable products out there that you can use for your home. If it’s not insulated properly, you’ll be wasting all the money you spend on heating and cooling.  For exterior doors, try insulating the curtains or door sweeps. This will help keep the heat in during the cold months and the drafts out when it’s colder. If you have cracks around your windows or walls where an interior wall meets up with an exterior one, consider using caulk to fill them in. Doors leading into garages should be treated like any other entry point into a house because they tend to lose a lot of warmth.

It’s also important to insulate your water tank and pipes. This will help keep the water in your tank warm and you won’t have to worry about it freezing when the cold weather hits. If you don’t do this, you could end up with burst water pipes and all the chaos and expense this could incur.

4. Lower Your Thermostat

Lowering the thermostat on your heating system is an easy way to save money on your energy bills. Lowering it by just five degrees for eight hours a day can make a significant difference to how much you spend each month. This would also be less intrusive than having no heat at all. You could also encourage your household to dress warmer (e.g. by wearing a sweater) rather than having a T-shirt and turning the heating up.

If you install a programmable thermostat, you can set it to automatically lower at certain times of day (e.g. overnight) or when no one is home. This way your energy usage will be reduced without any effort on your part. It may be that you don’t need hot water 24/7. If so, set the system so that it’s only heated up before the morning showers or when you need to do the washing up.

5. Unplug When Not In Use

In the past, a piece of electrical equipment was off when it was off! No power was being used, so you weren’t paying for any electricity. These days, you’ll often see devices that are turned off but which still display a red light. This is so it will quickly come into operation as soon as you press the remote.

Many products have this standby power that operates when they are not being used. It’s called “vampire” energy and it can cost you money. Unplug items like microwaves, coffee makers, phones chargers, external speakers, TVs or anything else that has this feature to save on your energy bills.

6. Seal Up The Drafts

Many drafts can be found around doors and windows. They may seem like an insignificant amount of air, but you’ll be turning up your heating system to compensate for them. Drafts can also come from cracks under doorways or poor seals at the bottom or top of exterior doors.

If you install new UPVC windows and doors you’ll have no problems with the seals, and your energy savings will be ongoing. Some people also put window film on large windows to stop the cold air from getting in.

7. Think About Your Appliances

It’s wise to replace all your older appliances with Energy Star products. This includes everything from refrigerators and ovens to washers and dryers. Simply switching out these items will mean you use less electricity or water, thus saving you money. This is because newer units are designed to be more energy-efficient.

If you have an HVAC, AC unit or furnace be sure to have them regularly serviced. Do your part in terms of regular maintenance, too. This especially applies to checking and replacing air filters. This will keep your appliances in optimum condition and help extend their lives.

It’s amazing how even a few small changes can generate considerable savings over time. If you want to reduce your energy bills by half, it’s best to implement as many of these tips as possible. In return, you’ll be able to enjoy your home like never before, saving money in the process.