The average family spends more than $2,200 on energy bills every year. If you’re feeling the financial squeeze from your utility bills, this post is for you.
Read on to learn how to save on utilities so you can have more money in your pocket (or savings account) this year.
How to Save on Utilities
It’s easy to assume you’ll be stuck paying your utility companies hundreds of dollars each month. But there are a number of things you can do to reduce your bill so you have more money to save for a vacation, pay off debt, or put in your emergency fund.
Here are five ways you can knock down your utility bill this year:
1. Check Your Windows
There are a number of ways you can improve your windows to keep the heat (or cold) in. Many people cover drafty windows with plastic, but you can also use weather stripping around doors or use insulation pads.
If you’re serious about keeping your bills low, you may want to look into double glazing. This website can help.
2. Set Your Thermostat
How many times have you gotten to work, only to realize you forgot to change your thermostat? There are a number of programmable thermostats on the market, and these can help you stop heating or cooling an empty house.
You can set these thermostats so that your heating is lower when you’re not home during the day and while you’re sleeping at night. Ther are even some thermostats on the market that will learn your daily routines and automatically change the temperature themselves.
3. Wash Smart
In many countries, it’s considered normal to wash your clothes on cold. Laundry detergent has been created specifically for this purpose. Now, all detergents and washes have evolved enough that you can easily wash with cold water.
Be sure to only wash when you have a full load, and if you have someone in the house who is sick or you’re washing soiled linens or clothes, use hot water.
4. Save Water
Now is a good time to check your faucets. Are they leaking? Make sure you’re turning your faucets off all the way, as this is sometimes all you need to do to stop a drip.
If you notice your toilet is running, check YouTube for some easy tutorials to help fix it. This can save gallons of water each day.
5. Use a Dishwasher
Believe it or not, but using a dishwasher will actually use less water than if you wash your dishes by hand. It’s also better at sanitizing.
Obviously, you’ll want to maximize this efficiency and cost-effectiveness by only running the dishwasher when it has a full load. Some electricity companies have cheaper rates at night. In this case, you should also make sure that this is when you run the dishwasher.
Wrapping up
Hopefully, this post has taught you how to save on utilities. There are many things you and your family can do to decrease those bills, so be sure to try the above tips today.
Check out some of our house and home blog posts for some more great tips.