How to Save Money and Electricity at the Same Time

If you are like me, your electricity consumption takes up a good portion of your utilities bill. So, if you want to save money, saving electricity would definitely help. The following are simple tips that will help you save on your electricity use.

Power Saving Lighting
The older incandescent or filament type of light bulbs give off more heat than light, and as such, they waste a lot of power. And they also fail relatively more often. So, the next time your filament bulbs fail, replace them with the newer fluorescent type of bulbs. They cost a little bit more, but they will save you money on your electric bill and last longer at the same time.

Use The Auto Off Feature
Many modern day electronic devices have an automatic off feature which you can use to save power. For example, if you like falling asleep in front of the television, there is no need to give it up to save electricity. Just set the auto off feature to switch off the television in an hour or however long it takes you to fall asleep. That way, you get to fall asleep with the tv on and save power at the same time.

Rechargeable Batteries
If you use any kind of batteries around the house, replace them with rechargeable batteries. Although rechargeable batteries are more expensive than normal ones, they will pay for themselves many times over. Typically, a rechargeable battery can be recharged a hundred or more times before it needs to be replaced while the cost is just a few times more than a normal battery.

One issue with rechargeable batteries is the lower voltage. A rechargeable battery has a voltage of 1.2V while a normal battery’s voltage is 1.5V. This is usually not a problem for most devices, but there may be some devices that will experience reduced function and maybe not even be functional at the lower voltage.

Set The Temperature Of Your Heater Or Air Conditioning Properly
It was a sweltering day in the middle of summer but you find that you had to put on an extra pair of sweaters as it was rather cold inside the house. In case you have not realized it yet, you had the air conditioning turned down a little too low. Remember that if it is winter outside, you do not have to create summer conditions inside your house, and vice versa. Just set your heater or air conditioner to a reasonable temperature. I will define a reasonable temperature as the temperature at which you are comfortable wearing a pair of pants and a warm top in wintertime, and a pair of pants and a T-shirt in summertime.

Take note that cooling and heating your house takes up a good portion of your electricity bill and you want to reduce this as much as possible. One thing you can try is to set the temperature one degree above or below, depending on whether it is summer or winter, the temperature at which you are comfortable. Leave it at that temperature for a week. It is possible that your body can acclimatise to the new temperature and you can leave the temperature setting where it is, saving even more on your electricity bill.

Heating And Cooling System Maintenance
Heating and cooling costs contribute significantly to your electricity bill. Other than setting your temperature appropriately, you might want to get somebody to come in to check for leaks, and maybe even look into ways to insulate your walls and windows. And don’t forget to schedule regular maintenance for your heating and cooling systems, so that they will run more smoothly, and consume less power.

Your Refrigerator
It takes power to cool something down. So, if you have something hot that you want to put in your fridge, let it stand for a while until it cools down to room temperature before putting it into the fridge. Similarly, your refrigerator might be set to cool down to a lower temperature than you require. So, check the setting of your fridge and see if you are setting it at an appropriate temperature.

If you are in the market for a new refrigerator, get a 2-door model. That way, every time you need to get something from the freezer, you do not need to open the main door and let out the cold air from the inside of the fridge. And since the refrigerator is switched on all the time, do your research first and choose an energy efficient model.