Every time we receive our electricity bill is; why is my electric bill so high? Seeing a high bill can be frustrating and annoying. So, lighten up as we talk about frugal energy saving tips that will save you some money on your next bill.
Don’t we all desire to save some extra money by reducing our energy bills? In winter, the heating system can cost us a fortune. On the other hand, air condition during the intense summer forms a significant part of the utility bills.
In this post, you can find several energy-saving tips that can help you in reducing utility bills.
Along with living a frugal life, you must be conscious of the environment around you. The following tips are eco-friendly and can play a vital role in reducing energy.
The cost and hazards associated with insulation, solar electricity, and turbines are also minimized.
Most of these ways to save electricity are free, and you can get started right now. Changing your energy-consuming habits today could save you money on your electricity bill.
50+ Simple Frugal Ways To Save Money on Utility Bills
- If you have kids, it is not necessary to bathe them every single day. Research has proven that the immunity of young ones improves when they do not bathe every night.
- Many people tend the operating thermostat at a level higher than the one they require. It would help if you turned it down gradually to ensure your body is comfortable with the new temperature.
- Wearing suitable clothes according to the weather will help you decrease the use of heaters and air conditioners. Thermals and vests can provide you with the much-needed layers in winter.
- Turn off the lights and fan whenever you leave a room. It is an excellent practice observed by even the most elite class to save electricity, so you should also shut down all electrical devices in a room when it's not being used.
- Keep the doors closed after you exit a room.
- Avoid boiling an excessive amount of water as it will increase your electricity and gas bills.
- Do not charge your mobile phones, laptops, and other smart devices overnight. It would help if you charged them during the day and according to their required battery. Overcharging has become very common, which increases the power bills.
- Instead of using electric dryers, consider air-drying clothes.
- Hang the clothes after washing them and for drying. It will reduce the need for ironing.
- While cooking, turn off the kitchen radiators.
- Turn down the hot water thermostat a little by little.
- If your washing machine has a quick wash feature, use it to utilize minimum electricity and water.
- Excessively messy clothes should be soaked before washing, so the washing machine must perform minimum work and energy on cleaning them.
- Try to reuse the clothes as much as you can to reduce the number of washes in a week.
- Use draught extinguishers and place them at the opening of your house.
- Make use of full loads in the washing machine and dishwasher.
- Fill the sink with hot water and turn off the water.
- Consider sharing baths with your partner or children to save water.
- Shut down the microwave when it is not being used.
- Install switch strips that allow you to turn off the gadgets immediately.
- Do not block radiators and wash at 30 degrees whenever you can.
- Wearing bed socks will keep you warm and reduce the need for a heating system.
- Use energy-saving bulbs.
- Turn off the oven about 5 to 10 minutes before the food is done. It will significantly reduce the electricity bills, and you will still have fresh warm food.
- Bleeding the radiators is essential from time to time.
- Shut down the heating system about 1 hour before bedtime. You can adjust the timing according to your requirement and weather conditions.
- Get a cozy warm blanket while watching TV and turn down the heating thermostat.
- Drink lots of water in both the summer and winter seasons. Hot water is very beneficial for your health as well.
- Get the boil services once-in-a-while.
- When you are not using a room, please turn off the radiators in it.
- Servicing the boilers regularly is also important.
- The dusting of the refrigerator's backside, like the coiling, is essential for the fridge's optimum functioning.
- Detach the unused chargers.
- Open the windows and curtains on warm days during the winter.
- Dry your hair with towels.
- Upgrade to Energy Star Appliances
- Wash Laundry in Cold Water instead of hot water
- Clean Your Dryers Lint Screen
- Clean Your Fridge's Condenser Coils every three months
- Pack Your Freezer & Fridge Full
- Take advantage of solar lights outdoor.
- Shut curtains and close doors
- Turn Your Stove and Oven Off Early, let the remaining heat finish the job.
- Use a crockpot for cooking meals or an electric frypan rather than the oven.
- Set the air conditioning properly and change your air conditioner filter monthly.
- Get a programmable thermostat. This can save you tons of money in the long run.
- Get a Home Energy Audit. You can get a professional energy audit or do one yourself.
- Use smart power strips.
- Install energy-efficient windows. Windows are a significant source of energy waste.
- Upgrade your HVAC system. An HVAC system is composed of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment.
- Adjust your day-to-day behaviors.
Other Energy-saving Tips
When you have implemented the tips given above, you will start saving a substantial amount of money from the utility bills. After saving a certain amount, you should consider spending it to buy critical equipment that can save even more money.
Some of the eco-friendly methods you can spend some money on are using wind energy, solar energy, and other green energy sources to power your property.
Most of these methods are quite expensive and difficult to afford for an ordinary citizen. Instead, you should start the snowball of energy-saving by investing in the following small and frugal energy-saving tips:
- Purchase a window insulator kit.
- Use reflector foil to cover the radiators.
- Install water-saving showerhead.
- Set up a chimney pillow.
- Purchase thick curtains for the winters.
- Cover the front door with a curtain.
- Install a shelf over the radiators to conserve heat.
- Attic insulation.
Other Important Energy Saving Tips Are:
Shut Down the Water Pump
Water usage of every family depends on many factors, for example, the number of family members, the size of the property, and the frequency of dishwashing and cloth washing.
You should determine your water usage yourself and set appropriate hours for the water pump. By turning off the water pump, you can save up to 10 kilowatts per day, or even more.
Electricity Consumption in the House
A tried-and-tested energy-saving tip is to go through your whole house. Start from the front door and start looking around for every electrical equipment and the circuit you are not using. Turn off and unplug all the unused chargers and switches.
Some of the Everyday Things That You Should Practice Are:
- Unplug unused chargers, laptops, batteries, power bank, electric toothbrush, and other smart devices.
- If you have kids, tell them strictly to turn off the lights while leaving a room.
- Charge the devices in one go and do not use them while charging.
- Avoid overcharging
- Turn off security lights in the daytime.
- Consider the power usage of electrical appliances before buying any new equipment. Such things are listed in the product description. You should compare the same machines from different manufacturers and make a smart buying decision.
- Ensure outdoor lighting is turned off if they are not automatic.
Energy Saving Tips in Bathroom
If you have underfloor heating installed at your house and in your bathroom, turn it off occasionally. It can make a huge difference in your utility bills.
Energy Saving Tips in Bedrooms
People, especially kids, have the habit of keeping electricity devices on standby.
You should always completely turn off the electrical appliances, such as the TV. Only plug them when they are being used.
If you have multiple digital alarm clocks in a single room, consider removing one of them. Electric blankets should also be used for a limited amount of time.
Energy Saving in Kitchen
Turning off the microwave is of utmost importance. Most people do not use microwaves daily, so there is no logic behind it being plugged all the time. You should turn it off and unplug it to cut off any electrical consumption.
It can easily be connected again whenever you want to use it. Similarly, toasters, kettles, and ovens should be turned off when they are not being used.
Kettles and toasters consume a lot of power to perform their function optimally. These tips might not be applicable for all people, but if you decide to switch to a thermos for keeping the drinks hot, you can save a lot of energy.
Moreover, it will reduce the number of times you have to boil the kettle, and hence, energy will be saved. If you are making a single cup of coffee or tea, you should boil the water for one cup!
Install/Replace Weather Stripping
There are odds that every household has damaged or completely missing weather stripping. You need to install or replace your weather stripping at your home. Watch the video below and then go and replace your weatherstripping immediately.
Snowballing
The snowball method of debt reduction can be applied to reduce heating and power bills. We start the process by implementing small and easy energy-saving tips that do not put a financial burden on us.
For example, saving a certain amount of money from a radiator reflector, chimney, insulation, and insulation kit.
Ultimately, it can save up to $800 per year in energy bills. Some of the money saved from the power bills can be used to improve your living standards.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this post has inspired you to look around your house and adjust to ways to conserve energy, thereby saving money. I'm sure the potential savings and the thoughts of a lower electric bill will help save money!
Turning off and unplugging unnecessary devices should be a part of your daily rituals.
If you follow these energy-saving tips diligently and correctly, you will end up saving a lot of power and money on utility bills.
By simply taking a small step towards living a more energy-conscious lifestyle, you can begin to enjoy all the perks of being energy efficient.
Furthermore, you will be playing your part in being a responsible citizen in the sustainable use of energy and protecting the environment.
So, there you go, with these simple, frugal energy-saving tips, you can save more money and live eco-friendly too.
What's your favorite energy-saving tip? How do you save money on electricity?
Michael launched Wealth of Geeks to make personal finance fun. He has worked in personal finance for over 20 years, helping families reduce taxes, increase their income, and save for retirement. Michael is passionate about personal finance, side hustles, and all things geeky.