Over the past several years we have continued to see the cost of electricity rise. As a result more people than ever search for ways to reduce their consumption of electricity. Short of installing a wind tunnel or solar power array, there are several common sense ideas that we can take advantage of to reduce the amount of electricity that we consume on a daily average.
One of the most common sense suggestions is simply to turn off the lights. Either turn off the lights or dim them in rooms that are not in current use. It is surprising how many of us walk into a room, flip the light switch on, and walk out without a thought of turning the switch back off. Installing motion sensor light switches where they make sense can help. A great place to take advantage of sensor controlled light switches is in the garage.
It also can help reduce electricity consumption if you replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. The new bulbs are believed to have about a 10 year life expectancy, much longer than the incandescent bulbs. It has been estimated that replacing one bulb will save approximately $35 over the life of the bulb. That may not sound like much, but depending upon the size of your house, there can be quite a few bulbs to change out and the savings can add up much more quickly than you would expect.
Unplug your unused appliances and electronics. Many of us do not realize that these items continue to draw electricity even while they are not in use. It is estimated that the amount of electricity that these items use is equal to up to 10% of your total monthly consumption. Turning these items off would translate to a $20 monthly savings based upon these figures for a $200 monthly electric bill.
Avoid using the drying cycles on the washing machine and dishwasher. You can save up to 20% on your electric bill just by doing these two things alone. Instead of drying your clothes in the dryer, take advantage of the warm, sunny summer days and hang your laundry on lines. You dishes can be permitted to air dry in the dishwasher following the wash cycle, but make sure that you wait until you have filled your dishwasher before running it to save even more on your energy consumption.
Many homes are empty during the day while everyone is at work and school. If you haven’t already purchased an automatic thermostat to maintain the temperature of your home, you should do so right away. According to Energy Star, allowing for hotter temperatures inside your home during the day could save as much as $180 per year. You could program the air conditioner to cool the house shortly before you are expecting to return home.
These are several of the common sense things that you can do around your home to save on your electric bill. For more ideas contact your local electric company, or search the internet. You will be surprised at how much money you can save by taking advantage of even just a few of these ideas!
Ultimate Roofing Systems has been helping businesses reduce utility costs by installing energy efficient roofing for over 25 years.
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