Owning a home is already rough on your wallet. You likely have to deal with things like mortgage payments and homeowner’s insurance, and on top of that, you need to pay utility bills.
These costs can really add up, and they may leave you wondering “How much home can I afford?”. Unfortunately, mortgage payments and homeowner’s insurance are likely required.
Also, in order to thrive in today’s world of convenience, utilities have essentially become necessities. We need electricity and water in order to function from day to day.
However, sometimes we can use too much and our utility bill can skyrocket, costing us lots of money. If this is a problem that you’re experiencing, don’t worry, as there are ways you can fix it.
Here’s how you can reduce your monthly utility bill and save a little cash.
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Upgrade Appliances and Light Fixtures
One of the easiest ways to reduce your monthly utility bills is to upgrade your appliances and light fixtures to newer models. Older models were not designed with efficiency in mind, meaning that they use a lot of energy to operate. However, new models run much more efficiently, meaning that they use much less energy.
Although you may be hesitant to drop a large sum of money on new appliances, you may actually be saving money in the long run.
The money you save on your utility bills from upgrading your appliances can oftentimes equal or surpass the money you spend on upgrading your appliances, making this one of the best options for reducing your monthly utility bill.
Control Electric Use
Another effective way to reduce your monthly utility bill is by controlling and reducing the usage of electricity in your home. There is a wide range of ways you can do this, and all can be effective ways of lowering your utility bill. As discussed before, you can always upgrade your appliances to limit electricity usage.
You could also set limits on how much time you use devices that use electricity, such as the T.V. Finally, you should ensure that you are wasting no electricity. This means always turning lights off when you leave the room, and only using lights when absolutely necessary.
These may not seem like sweeping changes, but they do add up and can eventually make a big difference in your utility bill.
Use Alternative Heating and Cooling Methods
One of the biggest ways that you can save on your utility bill is through the use of alternative heating and cooling methods for your home. Heating and air conditioning can use up a lot of energy, especially if your home isn’t properly insulated.
In order to reduce these costs, you can employ alternative methods to keep your house at the right temperature. For example, in the winter you can have a wood fire and in the summer you can use ceiling fans.
You may think this has little to no effect on your utility bill, but the ability to tone back on your thermostat can actually save you lots of money in the long run.
Use Less Hot Water
Another area that can have an effect on your utility bills is your hot water usage. Heating water can be quite costly, so cutting down on your hot water usage can actually save you a lot of money in the long run.
Some suggestions on using less hot water include taking fewer hot showers and using cooler water when washing your clothes. It can take a lot of energy to heat water for constant use, so scaling back your hot water usage is a great way to lower your utility bills.
Use Power Strips
What many people don’t realize is that leaving your devices plugged in can actually drain a small amount of power. This phantom energy use occurs even when the device is fully charged and not in use.
At first, you may think this isn’t that big of a deal, but over the course of the month, it can really add up, especially if you have multiple devices drawing power when they’re not even being used. Thankfully, there is an easy and simple fix for your woes.
Using a power strip can be a great way to prevent phantom energy usage. Plug your devices into a power strip, and then, when they aren’t in use, simply turn the power strip off. Then, the devices will no longer drain energy, and you will save lots on your next utility bill.
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