According to studies, just about 60% of all energy generated in the United States goes to waste. If the impact this has on the planet doesn’t stop you in your tracks, perhaps it’ll hit closer to home when you realize just how much energy you’re wasting under your roof.
Your utility bills will rise like crazy when your home is wasting energy. Thankfully, there are several steps you can take how to read my electric bill to get your home utility bill under control.
Get started by trying the following.
1. Invest in an Energy Audit for Your Home
Purchasing a home energy audit will help you reduce waste. Electricians and other home repair professionals conduct these audits to help you find the exact changes that will make an impact.
After an audit, you might find that you need to get new insulation, seal air cracks, or change out your light fixtures. This home energy audit costs very little but will tell you everything you need to know about your home energy use.
If you’re going to get an audit, always be prepared to make whatever changes are necessary. Switching to light-emitting diode (LED) lighting is an improvement that any homeowner can make without it breaking your budget.
2. Open a Window and Use the Ceiling Fan
When summertime arrives, your first response is likely to turn on the AC. There’s nothing wrong with this, but overusing your air conditioner will inevitably make your utility bills high.
On those milder days, skip the air conditioner altogether and instead open a window. Letting a breeze in can cool you down without you having to pay a dime for it. Double down on this by shutting your blinds to prevent sunlight from making your home hotter than it has to be.
You can also save significant money by turning on your ceiling fans. You can run these fans for hours on end and will pay a fraction of what it would cost to run your air conditioner for the same amount of time.
3. Buy Better Insulation for Your House
A home that is improperly insulated will always waste energy. With this in mind, consider the fact that 90% of households are underinsulated.
Ask a contractor to check the R-Values of your house at the time of a home energy audit. Doing this will point you toward the best insulation options. Have a contractor install your insulation correctly and in areas of liability.
Places like basements, crawl spaces, attics, and garages require the most attention when you’re shopping for insulation.
4. Change Out Your Hot Water Heater
The hot water heater is also a source of significant energy use in every household. They’ll last a dozen years or so before you’ll need to change them. Don’t hesitate to make that change once the time comes.
A water heater installer can show you several different models and give you a good price on the work.
They can even sell you advanced, chic models that are Energy Star certified to help you save even more money on your utility bills. A tankless water heater will help you reduce significant waste, as will a solar hot water heater.
You’ll get hot baths and showers without having to worry about it blowing up your home expenses.
5. Change or Clean Your Air Conditioning Filters
The most energy-saving repairs are often the simplest. Changing your air conditioning filters won’t cost you a lot, but will save you large sums of money over the years.
If you let your air conditioning filters get too dirty you should expect to see your bills get more expensive. Changing these filters will also help you breathe cleaner air so that you don’t deal with allergies or respiratory problems.
Smokers should be particularly mindful about how often they change or clean their air conditioning filters. You can count on your AC working correctly if it doesn’t have to struggle due to a bad filter.
6. Use Less Water Each Day
It would shock you to learn just how much water you can save by turning your nozzles a little tighter after each use. When you let faucets drip overnight or for days at a time you’re going to keep racking up high water bills.
Taking shorter showers will also help you to curb your water use and drive your bills down. Set a limit on the water that you use rather than letting it become something that gets out of hand.
The simple decision to pay more attention to your water use will cause you to use less water over time.
7. Cut the Lights Out When You’re Not Using Them
Likewise, switching off your lights when they’re not in use will lower your electric bills. There’s no need to keep the lights on if no one is in the room, or worse if no one is home.
Installing a dimmer switch or timer can also help you to save money on your bills.
8. Get a Handle on Your Thermostat
Finally, reconfigure your HVAC thermostat if you feel like it’s not working properly. Making this small repair will cut down on a lot of energy waste in your home.
Upgrade to a smart thermostat that will turn off when it’s not needed, and you’ll save large sums of money each month.
Make Changes to Save Money on Your Home Utility Bill
Each of these changes will save you money once the home utility bill rolls around. They also make your home more energy-efficient and will prevent environmental harm.
Call up some professionals that can implement these changes and address any repairs that you need.
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