5 Tips to Save Money on your Electric Bill
Who would like more money in their pockets?
Everyone.
I don’t know anyone who wouldn’t like a few extra bucks. With winter upon us, our power bills get bigger and bigger, through the use of electrical devices to keep homes warm. In recent times, the cost of our electricity has also been increasing.
I would like to share some tips with you to help lower your electricity bill.
Turn power points off when the appliance is not in use.
Even though you are not using the appliance, if it is switched on at the wall it will have electricity running to it. This is costing you money. The little red light indicating the TV or DVD player is on standby is using electricity. Sometimes it is not convenient to switch these off at the wall.
At our house we have a cupboard in front of the powerpoint so we don’t switch these ones off at the wall. It takes a little getting used to, but it’s worth it. Things we turn off at power point; kettle, toaster, thermomix, phone chargers, washing machine and dryer, television and DVD players.
Turn lights off when not in a room.
Sounds simple, but there is a lot of electricity wasted here. I am forever telling my children to turn out the lights. As my parents were wont to say when I was a child: “Why is this house lit up like a Christmas tree?”
After a while it will become second nature to turn off lights when you leave a room. Even to the point my son accidentally turned my light off while I was still in my bedroom. I don’t leave the front light on for visitors either; I turn it on five minutes before they are due to arrive and turn it off once they are inside.
Turn off the electric oven a few minutes before you’re ready to take the food out.
Ovens take a while to cool down so why not turn the oven off 5 min before the food is ready? The oven will continue to be hot for a little while once it’s turned off and the food can continue cooking while the oven is gradually cooling down.
- Use your washing line or airer instead of the dryer.
You will be surprised how much electricity you can save by not using the dryer. In summer there is no reason not to use the clothes line. Hanging the clothes out in the nice sunshine. When it comes to winter it can become just too easy to put the clothes in the dryer. Plan your washing and use the clothes line. Using an inside airer or a hook up a line under the patio can be a cost effective method as well.
Use Electric Heating Less
Before you turn your heater on, try these tips: put an extra layer of clothes on; Close your blinds or curtains; Use a door snake to seal up the gap under the door to stop a cold draft; Socks or slippers to keep your feet nice and toasty; If you’re watching TV, snuggle up with a warm blanket; If you are still cold after doing all this, turn the heater on to warm up the cold air. Once the house is warm you should be able to turn it off again.
Using these tips we have noticed a difference in our electricity bill. Our eldest, Joshua, likes to compare our bills when they come in. If we have a bill higher than the last one, he does his best to use the above tips to bring the next one down.