The answer is simple:
any electricity and water bill can get pretty pricey. If you
are looking for ways to save some money on this bill, you should check out these
tips!
Cut Down on Heat and Air Conditioning
Wondering how to reduce
gas bill costs? It’s actually way easier than you’d think. The
truth is that you don’t have to go crazy buying expensive sustainable gadgets
to lower your energy bill.
Yes, you read that
right. Let’s face it: not everyone has a ton of cash to throw at expensive
solar panels and smart outlets. As a matter of fact, it only takes a few
tweaks to cut your electricity and water bill in half. Are you looking to save
money on energy costs?
Then you’re in luck
because you’ve come to the right place. For starters, you can always cut
down on your heat and air conditioning costs. But here’s the catch: if you live
in a super sunny area like Los Angeles, then it might be hard to turn down the
air conditioning when it’s 100 degrees outside.
On the other hand, those
that live in cooler areas like Washington DC may owe most of the energy costs
to the heating bill instead. Wherever you live, it’s simple to save money on
your monthly bill with these easy to follow tips, which include keeping your
ventilation clean and open.
Sounds simple, enough,
right? For those that are still scratching their heads, all you have to do is
take a look at the vents near your heat or airconditioning area. You might be
surprised to find that your vents have been shut the entire time, which makes
the air conditioning struggle to cool down your home even more.
Solution: open up your
vents to allow your air conditioning to do its job. Once you do, you’ll see how
much opening your vents will lower your power costs.
Not sure how to lower the electric bill in winter? Try upgrading to a programmable thermostat as soon as possible!
Improve Your Home’s Airflow
Ever thought about improving the airflow in your home? Crazily enough, keeping the perfect temperature inside of your house or apartment can seem like an impossible feat. However, if you remember that heat rises, then you’ll know exactly what you need to do.
By opening up the
airflow in your home, you can help to cool it dramatically without even
thinking about turning on the air conditioning. But wait – there’s more. To do
so, start by opening up the windows of your house to promote better airflow.
Better yet, turn on all
of the ceiling fans in your home to push the air toward the ceiling. Just make
sure that your ceiling fan is spinning in the right direction first. For
instance, summertime calls for running your fan counter-clockwise to get rid of
heated air.
Meanwhile, moving your
fan clockwise during the winter is a great way to keep the heat in. If you
don’t have any ceiling fans, there’s nothing wrong with using a few
standing fans instead. Even though it won’t work as effectively as ceiling
fans, standing fans can still get your air circulated properly.
Bonus points for putting
your standing fans in the proper direction to push the air out. For those that
are unaware, that includes pushing the hot air up and down to evaporate it. The
result: you’ll finally be able to give your cooling and heating system a break,
which means saving big on your monthly energy bill.
You might be
wondering: how much does it cost to get the electricity turned on? The
truth is, it depends on which area you’re located in!
Reduce Your Laundry Costs
Struggling to reduce your laundry costs? We got your back. First things first, saving money on your water bill starts by putting the correct number of clothes into your washing machine.
That’s not all. On top
of that, turning down the heat on your driers and washers can seriously reduce
your electricity and water bills as well. As you may already know, using the
cold setting on your washing machine is a wonderful way to decrease your power
usage.
But here’s the kicker:
if you’re using your drier heavily, it clearly takes a lot of
energy and heat to keep it running. While there’s no one-size-fits-all
solution, you could always line dry some of your clothes if you live in a
warmer climate. If not, try to use your drier as sparingly as possible to see
big savings on your monthly bill.
Want to know a secret?
Amazingly enough, measuring out your loads of laundry is a smart way to reduce
your energy usage as well. Admit it – we’ve all been guilty of stuffing the
laundry machine until it’s overflowing.
Even though it might
feel like you’re defying nature, you’ll find that your drier won’t be able to
circulate hot air fast enough to dry your clothes. That means that you might
run the risk of running your drier again, which is totally time and
cost-consuming.
Nobody wants that,
right? Our general rule of thumb is to keep at least one-quarter of your drier
empty so that it can tumble your clothes around correctly. And if you’re drying
big blankets too, it’s wise to leave even more room in your drier.
Lastly, be sure to keep
your laundry hours to later in the evening. For instance, experts recommend
that 8:00 PM is the cheapest time to run electricity!
Turn Down the Heat on Your Dishwasher
Looking to reduce your
electricity and water bill at the exact same time? Fortunately, we’ve got you covered.
For the initiated, cutting down on your power usage with your dishwasher is
very similar to the same techniques as your washing machine.
But here’s the kicker:
turning down the heat on your dishwasher can be the key to mega savings on your
monthly energy bill. Although running hot water is simply a part of the process
of dishwashers, it doesn’t have to be the case for the drying cycle.
In fact, most
dishwashing machine has a special heated drying setting that you can easily
turn off. Even though drying your dishes under a heated setting can help you to
avoid annoying water spots, you can still accomplish the same effect by using
certain rinsing agents.
Already have a rinsing
agent on deck? Then you’re already one step ahead of the game. All we can really recommend
is that you skipped the heated drying cycle. That’s because using a rinsing
agent to coat your dishwashing machine can make it hard for water to stick to
your dishware.
On top of that, your
dishwasher will most likely release your rinsing agent toward the end of its
cycle so that it can properly scrub your dishes first. Now, you won’t have to
worry about pulling out crusty dishes or wasting a ton of
money on your power bill.
Never even touched a
rinsing agent before? Have no fear, we’ll show you the way. To use it, find the
tiny, circle-shaped cap on the dishwasher door and unscrew it.
Next, pour in your
rinsing agent until it’s full. Now, all you have to remember is to push the
“stop” button once your dishwasher hits the heated dry setting. Lay down
your dishes and voilà!
Load Your Dishwasher More Effectively
Think that you’re
already loading your dishwasher effectively? You might want to think again
because simply stuffing your dishwasher with random dishes just isn’t enough.
Pro tip: make sure that
you spend some extra time pre-washing your dishes before you toss them into
your dishwasher. And the way that you arrange it in the rack matters as well,
especially when it comes to your water and electricity bill.
Here’s the thing. When
you put your dishes in your sink for a good pre-wash, the point isn’t to erase
any signs of a meal. If that was the case, then you probably wouldn’t even be
using a dishwasher.
Although it makes sense
to scrub off the larger chunks of your food, be sure to leave the scraps for
your dishwashing machine to take care of. There’s nothing wrong with this
method, especially since it doesn’t take much water to pre-wash your dishes at
all.
News flash: the rack
that you decide to put your dishes on matters a lot too. For those who don’t
know, placing your plates on the bottom rack facing toward the center is the
most strategic way to load it up. Obviously, utensils go in proper section on
the bottom rack, but did you know that you should be placing them with the
handle facing the bottom?
That’s because placing
the sharp side facing up could result in your hurting yourself. As if that’s
not enough, your silverware won’t get washed correctly, which might make you
want to run the machine again.
Now that we’ve got that
down, be sure to put all of your cups and bowls facing down onto the top row of
your dishwasher as well. Otherwise, water won’t reach the bottom rack. And
we all know what that means: another wasteful cycle!
Unplug Unused Appliances
Are you asking yourself,
how can I possibly cut my bill in half? It’s easy: you can
begin by unplugging unused appliances as much as humanly possible. While some
appliances and electronics suck out more energy than others, here are a few
devices that you should keep your eyes on:
TV sets, particularly those that are plasma-based
Desktop computers that are always turned on
Electric tea kettles
Video game consoles such as PlayStation3 and Xbox
Although it’s beyond
easy to substitute electric tea kettles with boiling a pot of water on your stovetop,
the key to decreasing your energy usage with appliances takes much more
than switching off the power button. Are you someone who loves to leave
all of your electronics on?
If so, then the simplest
solution for you would be to plug them all into a single power strip. That way,
you can shut off all of your devices at once, which can help to reduce your
energy bill drastically. Another word of advice is to leave your electronics
and appliances on sleep mode as much as possible, which is a great way to
decrease your power usage as well.
Dying to reduce your Texas electricity bill? It helps to compare rates from different energy providers first!
Save on Your Monthly Electricity and Water Bill
Want to learn how to
save money on your monthly electricity and water bill? Join the club. From
cutting down on heat and air conditioning to improving your home’s airflow, our
handy guide has everything you need to save money and the
environment.
Are you sick and tired
of paying ridiculously high electricity and water bill every single month?
You’re not alone. However, you’d be surprised by how much reducing your laundry
usage can decrease your energy bill.
Not to mention that
other simple tactics like turning down the heat on your dishwasher and loading
it more effectively can be real lifesavers too. Ready to see for yourself? We
wish you the best of luck!
Curious about more financial tips? Don’t forget to check out the rest of our blog! We have all kinds of money saving tips.
The post How to Lower and Save Money on Your Electricity and Water Bill appeared first on MoneyMiniBlog.
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