Lower Your Electric Bill Now! A Few Simple Ideas

Summer or winter. Heating or cooling.  You constantly work towards a lower electric bill. With fossil fuels fast disappearing and ever-increasing costs it is time for some serious action.

Your brain is the most important weapon in your fight against high electric, heating and cooling bills. It is easy to generate a lower electric bill if you pay close attention to these simple suggestions. To begin with, you have to focus on your usage.

Redefine your thinking on power drains. Shouldn’t you be turning off the lights too, when you switch off the TV and the fan? You surely do not need light when you are no longer in the room.

An obvious next-step is to replace all of your old incandescent light bulbs with CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs. The initial change seems expensive but is well worth it as it leads to a permanently lower electric bill.  The bulbs use less energy and have a MUCH longer life span.

When you are sitting in a room, make sure that you are indeed using all the electronic devices that are drawing power at that moment.  Switching them off now, even if you are going to be using it later, makes for a lower your electric bill.  And, the habit b formed by making deliberate decisions will make you more aware of future electrical usage.

Another painless way to save power and a resulting lower electric bill is to keep track of your home appliances.  A lower electricity bill is not directly proportional to the number of appliances you have, but is related to how you use them. Here are a couple tips to avoid the usual power-wasters.

• Use the washing machine only if you have a full load.
• Using cold-water settings in your washing machine decreases power usage.
• If you use space heaters, turn them on only for minimal periods as they use tremendous amount of electricity.
• Consider adjusting the settings 1-3 degrees on your automatic thermostat, especially when you are away, so as not to unduly cool/heat your home when no one is there.
• Consider putting on a sweater or light blanket, instead of turning up the heat when you are chilly at home.
  In summer, open the windows at night to allow for breezes to cool the house.  Then make sure to close up the window coverings before the direct sun shines in, in the morning.
• When on a short break, don’t hesitate to switch off your computer as it takes only a second to switch it back, especially since short breaks have a way of stretching out and you are gone longer than you think.

Ingrain these habits into your daily routine in an effort and realize a lower electric bill in now time. This will help you save power at home and at the office.  These little things you do to lower your electric bill will increase the money staying in your wallet and as well as help save the planet.