The cost of electricity is high, especially if you’re living in Alaska, Hawaii, New Mexico, California, or the North East.
How can you save money on your utility bill without having to go solar and install all kinds of stuff on your roof? A variety of ways, but here are a few that won’t make you roll your eyes. Okay, maybe one or two of them will.
Because frankly, nobody’s got time for a massive utility bill when there are so many ways we could save money and casually try and save the planet at the same time.
1. Paint your roof white
See, this might make you roll your eyes but painting your roof white can help you save up to 40% of your energy usage. You could save more than 100$ a year by paying for paint and slapping it on your roof.
Especially in sunny places (like you Colorado… how in the world do you tolerate 300 days of sun?) the white roof can help save on cooling costs, and eventually lower your electricity bill.
2. Get an energy audit
The kicker on this one is that it’s free. Which is to say: you should probably do this either way. Getting an energy audit will help you figure out where your “sinks” are, meaning you’ll be able to figure out what kinds of updates you might need to make on your house or apartment.
3. Learn what a Peak Rate time is
And don’t be too lazy to use it. There are times throughout the day where electrical rates go down. This means it’s a perfect time to wash your clothes, vacuum the house, and do a variety of other things you would like to do a different time. Hot showers count.
4. Do laundry less
This goes a few ways. Doing laundry less, yes, would help lower your energy usage. But that’s not quite what this means.
This is your permission to leave laundry until the last minute. Why? Because it’s much better to wash large loads of laundry at one time. Why? It uses a load of electricity, so get more bang for your buck and do laundry less.
5. Clean the lint
The nasty lint filter you hate cleaning in your dryer can cost you money. If you’re not cleaning it regularly, your dryer is probably using a lot more energy while in use.
6. Clean your fridge
The coils on your fridge have a job: keep your fridge cool. When they’re gnarly from dirt, they have to work harder to keep your fridge cool, costing you money. Get on your hands and knees and clean the thing once in awhile to keep your fridge energy efficient.
7. Get a windmill
While probably not financially feasible (and if it is, do it already), setting up a windmill saves you money. Once the costs of setting it up are paid off, that is.
8. Change your lightbulbs
You already know using an LED light bulb will help you save energy. They use less watts, generate less heat… plus, they last longer.
9. Have an excuse for a dimmer switch
These guys serve a variety of purposes, but installing dimmer switches into your house will help reduce the amount of electricity used to power them. Not only do you get mood lighting, but you spend less on it too.
10. Hangout in the dark
You know… there could be worst things. Using blackout curtains, nightlights, and remembering to turn the lights out in a room behind you will all help reduce your energy bill.
Have you tried any hacks to get your electricity or utility bill down? What worked for you?
