Lowering your energy consumption is a great way to decrease your power bill. It is also a great way to help with the fight against the pollution that is killing our planet. As technology advancements reach new heights, the power usage of the world continues to rise. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) states that we all need to do our part when it comes to decreasing the amounts of pollution we put into the atmosphere. Companies all over the world have taken steps to reduce their energy consumption. Now it is time for private consumers to step up and decrease their usage. The plus side of this is that you can save on your electric bill while helping the world around you.
- Everything Needs Turned Off– One of the biggest wastes of power today are mobile device chargers. When not in use, unplug them. Small amounts of power still trickle through the charger, which causes a drain on your bill. They are like little vampires sucking your power while you are sleeping. When you leave a room turn the TV off. Turn the computers off. Turn the lights off for peat’s sake. Simple things amount up to small savings. Small savings add up to big ones. One big thing is to use as little power as possible during the busy times of the day. The energy provider will charge you more during these times.
- Shop Smarter-When shopping try to buy energy-smart items. Appliances, outlets, power cords, and even light bulbs. They all help save electricity in their own ways. For instance, a smart light bulb can be set up to turn on when you enter a room and turn off when you leave.
- Adjust Television Settings-Smart TVs have a few settings in them that need to be changed to save on the power bill. You may lose some of the convenience that the settings offer, but the bill will show the difference. One setting that you need to turn off is the sleep mode feature. By the sleep mode, I mean the one that allows the television to stay in sleep mode, instead of turning all the way off. This allows the TV to turn on faster but keeps the unit on all the time. The second change that you need to do is the automatic brightness adjustment. Smart TVs can adjust the brightness automatically to match the room lighting. Once again this makes viewing movies easier, but it adds to your electric bill. Turn it to one brightness and leave it alone.
- Adjust Temperatures–Electricity can be saved by large amounts if you simply turn the temperature dial. If you have your house warm in the winter, turn it down a few degrees. If you get chilly put on a sweater. If you like a cool house in the summer, once again, turn it down so the temperature goes up by a little. If you get too hot, strip down. Eventually, your body should adjust to the slight change in temperature. As an example, use the two statements above. You like it 68 in the summer, so your body should be alright with 68 in the winter.
- Weatherize-Spend the time, and the money, to properly weatherize your house. Energy-efficient windows and doors that help maintain the set temperature within a room. Repair and clean heating and cooling ducts. Insulate areas that need it. Lay carpet, or rugs, throughout the house to help trap the heat in.
Saving on your electricity bill is not a hard thing to do. Just make sure that you monitor your usage, change your bad habits, and work on converting your home over to smart technology. With all that said and done, do not forget to educate everyone else in the house, and any guests that you may have.
A Dime Saved
Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.