How To Save Money On Your Utility Bills

We get questions all the time from various people wanting to know how to save money on their utility bills. There are many ways and things homeowners or renters can do to lower their monthly utility bills. Listed below are just a few methods of doing this.

·       The simplest way to cut down on your air conditioning bills is to raise the setting on your thermostat.

·       If you are using ceiling fans or fans, raise your setting at least 2 degrees to off-set the cost of running the fans. Three or more degrees will start saving you money.

·       Replace all the bulbs you can with high efficiency LED or CFL light bulbs

·       Buy gaskets that go behind the outlet and switch plates and install them in all your outlet and wall switch plates. By doing so, you will help seal a lot of air leaks that come from your crawl spaces and attics.

·       Be sure your exterior doors have door sweeps and are weather striped. If you can see any daylight through you doors, they need more work.

·       Caulk around your windows and your sinks drain and water lines to help seal out any outside air from coming in and keeping the inside air in. Silicone caulking works best for this instead of expand-a-foam which is very messy.

·       Be sure to clean or replace your air conditioning return air filter each month. This is simple to do and has a big impact on your bills, comfort, and equipment life.

·       Have your heating and air conditioning system professionally tuned-up each year so it works at its peak efficiency level. Be sure they inspect your duct work for leaks as leaky ducts are major contributor to higher bills, less comfort, and sometimes excessive dust.

·       Be sure to turn off your TV’s, DVR boxes, DVD players, lights, and computers when not in use.

·       Close drapes or curtains on the sunny side/s of your house when they are in direct sunlight. This will help keep your home cooler. If you don’t, the radiant heat will warm up your house quickly and cost more to keep it cool.

·       Try to grill outdoors when it is hot to avoid using your stoves and ovens which contribute a lot to your heat load.

·       If you can do your laundry in the early morning or later at night it will help keep your house cooler because the dryer puts out a lot of heat into the room.

·       One last tip for this week, is to weather strip and insulate your attic access door or panel. A lot of energy is lost through these access doors and panels. You can use a thick foam board or faced backed insulation and glue it to the back of the door or panel. If you have pull-down stairs, build an insulated box over the top of them with a hinge.

If you use the tips listed above, you will save money on your utility bills and have more money at your discretion.  Hope you return next week to learn more.