To live the lifestyle you want, it’s essential to continually look for ways to not only make more money but also spend less and save more. With utility bills being one of the main costs for many people each year, it helps to find ways to shave money off each charge.
In particular, if you cut back your energy usage, you’ll enjoy significant savings each year, and help the environment to boot. There are many strategies you can implement, but here are some of the best to help you cut your energy usage today.
Start with an Energy Audit
The first step is to get an energy audit done, so you know how much electricity you’re currently using. Once you have this base number, you know your “norm,” and can work to cut back the numbers more and more over time.
There are a few options to discover your current energy use. Hire a local auditor who specializes in this service, consult various online tools that help you to calculate usage based on your lifestyle and home set up, or install a DIY energy monitor to track your usage over a period.
An added benefit of evaluating your usage is that once you have a baseline count and something to aim for, you’ll be more likely to course-correct if you see you’re not hitting your goals. The more concrete the numbers you have to work with, the easier it is to change your usage patterns.
Tend to Appliances
Since one of the most significant energy drains in homes is that of appliances, it’s vital to do what you can to keep them all clean and well maintained. Doing this improves their efficiency, which in turn means you end up using less energy.
Start by doing tasks such as keeping the coils on your fridge clean. The dirtier these are, the harder the fridge has to work and the more energy it will suck up. Check and clean the coils around every quarter for the best results. Similarly, always remove the lint from your dryer before using it again, and scrub the lint trap filter every few months, as a buildup of lint and dust will lead to your dryer overworking and using more electricity.
Commit to having key appliances maintained at least annually, too. In particular, drain the sediment of your hot water heater a few times per year so the unit is more efficient, and hire an electrician or heating and cooling specialist to perform maintenance on your HVAC system. With these products consuming a significant proportion of a household’s energy bill, you need to improve air conditioning efficiency if you want to cut electricity costs. The contractor should be on the lookout for any wear and tear, and they should replace hoses, clean filters, and inspect ducts and vents for leaks.
