As in many things in life, cutting down your electricity consumption can actually become a habit or should I say should become one of the good habits you cultivate. You will not only be saving money but the environment and creating opportunities for many other families to have access to electricity.
With lingering economic troubles in the word today a lot of people are looking for various ways to save money. One of the components of household expenditure is our electric bill. As many homes are transiting from postpaid to prepaid metering system, an effective usage of electricity can help lower your consumption and save you money for other things. So let’s look at the following;
- Change your incandescent light bulb to energy saving ones!
This might sound so obvious but the energy saving bulbs revolution is catching on and you should not be left behind. Incandescent light bulbs are heavy consumers of electricity compared to their led or energy saving counterparts. Yes, the initial cost may be more than incandescent ones but they last longer and you save a lot on electricity consumption over a long period.
Another positive is that it also reduces pressure on your alternative source of electricity like your generator, inverters, etc.
- Go Solar!
Another effective way to lower your electric bill is by going solar. Sure, you have to pay for those solar panels, but they are cheaper (in the long run) than electricity. The average household that goes solar is likely to save tens of thousands over the course of their solar panel system’s lifetime.
Furthermore, if you have an installment payment option, you can consider going solar without the initial capital outlay, allowing you to save money on your electric bill almost immediately. The average family that goes solar using is projected to save thousands, according to solar energy experts
- Make Electricity Conservation a Family Affair
Making energy saving a family affair at home or in the office is probable the most effective electricity bill cutting strategy you can deploy. You may need to explain to them – children and staffs the effect of leaving lights on when not in use. When they connect the use of electricity to money they will be willing to help you cut down on your bills. You can equally add some form of incentive or reward for anyone that put off the light in their rooms/office to ensure that only the lights that are needed remain on. It might surprise you how much you save.
- Cut Your Air Conditioning Needs
Air conditioning and heating are major electricity hogs for a many people. People leave from AC homes to AC cars to AC offices. However, a big reason for that is simply because we’ve gotten lazy about adjusting to our environment.
How many times have you been to an office on a hot day in which the air condition was on so high that you had to put on more clothes to warm up? It’s all too common, and maybe you even have the AC set in such a way in your home. Give it some thought. Rather than paying a fortune to freeze yourself, or even to keep it cooler than your body really needs, lower your electric bill by simply turning on the fan instead. Our bodies are made to adjust to our surrounding environment. Let your body do its job. And if you want to go even further, turn on a fan to keep cool so that you can turn the temperature on the AC up, or turn it off altogether. Blowing air on yourself takes a lot less electricity than turning hot air into cold air.
- Don’t Use Electricity When You’re Not Using It
Unfortunately, most of us keep things plugged in for hours or even days between the times we actually use them. This includes TVs, computers, DVD players, and PlayStation consoles, our air conditioning, toaster ovens, and much more. These things are then using electricity even when you are not using them. I once read that these home appliances consume electricity at standby mode even when not in use.
Simply unplug these things when you aren’t going to use them for several hours or perhaps even days. I learnt there are energy saving plug that can help you to cut this standby electricity usage without you doing a thing.
- Put off Refrigerators
Old refrigerators and freezers are huge energy consumers. If you have got one of these around just because you feel it would be a waste not to use it, I think perhaps it’s time to realize that it is a waste using it. Get rid of it. In fact, if you have multiple fridges of any age, consider scaling back to just one. Refrigerators are big energy consumers. They eat up electricity. Chances are that you need much less space in the refrigerator or freezer than you think. Look into it, give it some thought, and scale back.
If you just have one refrigerator but it’s really old, you may still end up saving money by upgrading to a new one. Look into it.
- Upgrade; Switch to More Efficient Appliances
For the most part, new appliances and electronics are much more energy efficient. If you have really old appliances, get rid of it. There is nothing ‘swaggy’ about boasting that you’ve been using this or that appliance for 20years. It may save you money to discard and upgrade. This goes for TVs, refrigerators, computers, and much more. Naturally, of course, with an upgrade you also get a newer, better product. Who doesn’t love that?
These are top 7 suggestions for lowering your electric bill. Give them a shot!
Do you have more? Please chime in with your suggestions in the comments below! Thank you
