Monthly utility bills are a necessity that you have to pay. There are times during the year when it seems like the utility bills are less expensive because you don’t use as many large appliances and systems in the home, such as the air conditioner or the heating system. Fortunately, there are a few tips that you can use to cut your monthly energy expenses and keep your utility bills low throughout the entire year.
Insulate
Trap the heat or air that you’re using in the home instead of letting it escape by adding insulation. Common areas to add insulation are the attic and the basement. If the walls of the home are thin, you can add insulation there as well. You can often use spray foam insulation instead of tearing down walls or creating a mess using materials with fiberglass insulation.
Weather Stripping
Air from the outside can enter the home through cracks around the windows and doors. The heat and air from inside the home can also escape through these same areas, which means that your heating and cooling system has to work for longer periods of time to maintain the temperature setting of the thermostat. Spend a day adding weather stripping to the windows and doors to keep drafts to a minimum. Weather stripping can also keep moisture out of the home, which can cut back on mold and mildew forming.
Upgrade
Older appliances, as well as heating and cooling systems, can use more energy than those that are newer. If these items are older than about 10 years, then consider upgrading them to ones that are energy-efficient. One system that would be beneficial to work with a contractor like Air Around The Clock or someone similar to upgrade is the HVAC unit. With proper care and a system that will sustain the heat and air for the home, then the unit shouldn’t run as often as one that is older and that struggles to keep the home at a comfortable temperature, saving money on your utility bills.
Cold Water
While cold water might not be comfortable for taking a shower, you can wash your clothes and dishes in cold or lukewarm water instead of using the hot water. The hot water heater uses a large amount of energy each time it has to re-heat water that is used in the home. If you can keep the water heater from draining, then it won’t need to use this energy as often.
There are some appliances and electrical units in the home that you can’t avoid using unless you keep the windows open or hang your clothes on a line outside to dry. Fortunately, there are some ways that you can decrease the amount of energy that is used by each component. Monitor your energy consumption when each item is used to determine where you need to cut back the most, watching your utility bill drop in the process.
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