If you’re looking to save money on your electric bill, your best bet is to make your home more efficient. Sprucing up your home with a few of these inexpensive upgrades could save you a bundle each year!
1. Use a power strip
Your appliances and electronics continue to suck power from the outlet—even if they are turned off. According to ENERGY STAR this energy waste can cost homeowners an extra $100 per year. But it’s easy to stop it—and save your hard-earned dollars. Just use a power strip. Plug your appliances into a power strip and simply switch off the strip when you’re finished using those electronics. It’s an easy way to cut power to multiple devices at one time. Plus it can keep some money in your pocket.
2. Replace your light bulbs
If your house is full of incandescent light bulbs, you’re spending more on lighting than you need to. Incandescent bulbs are highly inefficient and waste 90 percent of the energy they consume. CFL or LED light bulbs use far less energy and last much longer. LEDs, while more expensive up front, offer the biggest savings opportunity. They use 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer than an incandescent light bulb. Start by replacing the most frequently used lighting to get the biggest bang for your buck.
3. Seal air leaks.
Heating and cooling make up the largest portion of your energy bill, but you can minimize the expense with a simple tube of caulk. Use the caulk to seal any air leaks around your home that may be wasting your heating and cooling. Look at common leak sites: Window frames, door frames, outlets, recessed lighting, around plumbing and the attic entrance.
4. Insulate with a water heater blanket
If you have an older hot water heater, it probably isn’t insulated all that well. That means you’re paying for a significant amount of heat loss. Fortunately, the problem is cheaply remedied. Pick up a water heater blanket at your local hardware store. They only cost about $20 and can save you $20 to $45 per year in water heating costs according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
5. Install low flow fixtures.
If you reduce the amount of water you use, you’ll also cut down on your hot water heating costs. Low flow fixtures offer an inexpensive way to achieve that goal, particularly if your home was built before 1992. Showerheads in older homes use as much as 5.5 gallons of water per minute. But today, federal regulations require showerheads to use less than 2.5 gallons per minute—though many use even less. These new fixtures only cost $10 to $20 and can cut your water and heating costs by as much as 60 percent!
6. Change your air filter.
A clean air filter makes your air condition run more efficiently. To save money, you need to change out your air filter soon as you notice it’s dirty. Some filters can go as long as three months, but many need to be replaced after just one month. Replacing a dirty filter can lower your air conditioners energy consumption by as much as 15 percent. You can find air filters for less than $5, which means you’ll pocket plenty of savings.
7. Install a programmable thermostat.
A programmable thermostat may be the priciest item on this list, but it gives you so much control over your heating and cooling. A programmable thermostat, which retails from $20 to $300, allows you to schedule how you use energy. It can automatically adjust the temperature to save energy when you’re not home and raise it back to a comfortable degree before you return. Some even come with a mobile app, so you can change your energy settings on the go. By using the programmable thermostat to actively manage your air conditioning costs, you could save as much as $180 a year according the ENERGY STAR.
8. Seal your ducts.
Check your ducts for leaks. Unwanted air leaks in your ducts waste your hard-earned heating and cooling dollars. The most durable option to seal these unwanted energy wasters is duct mastic. You can buy a gallon of duct mastic for about $20 or a smaller tube for less than $5.
9. Plant trees.
Believe it or not, the landscaping outside your home impacts your energy costs. If you want extra energy savings, invest in a tree or two. Once the trees have grown, they will provide shade for your home and reduce your cooling costs. In fact, homes with shady landscaping have air conditioning costs that are 15 to 50 percent lower than unshaded homes. The most energy-saving option is a deciduous tree, such as maple, elm or ash. This type of tree offers plenty of shade in the summer but loses its leaves in the winter so you can take advantage of the sun’s warmth.
10. Use solar lights outside.
Installing lights outside can improve your home’s safety, but it doesn’t have to add to your electricity bill. There are all kinds of solar lighting options for outside including solar path lights, lanterns and posts. And best of all, solar lights won’t use a lick of your electricity. They are powered by the sun, so you won’t ever spend more than the purchase price of the lights.