You know that you have to pay your energy bill or risk not having lights, air, or heat in the house. When you open your bill, you might not expect it to be quite so high. The bill is usually expected to be a bit higher during certain times of the year when you have to use the air or heat more often, but it shouldn’t stay at the same rate throughout the rest of the year. Fortunately, there are a few hacks to try so that you can lower your bill.
Know What’s Dragging You down
Before you can lower your energy bill, you need to know what is using the most energy in the home. Most large appliances will use a good bit of energy, but you can’t really do anything about those unless you don’t want to have food or wash clothes. A window air conditioner uses a good bit of power, and unless it’s really hot inside the house, you probably don’t need to keep it on all the time. Small space heaters, electronic devices, and lamps also drain power.
Change the Roof
One of the things that you might not expect to drain some of the energy from your home is your roof. A dark roof can absorb the heat from the sun and make the inside of the home very warm throughout the year, even in the winter. A lighter roof reflects the sun and can tend to keep your energy bill lower in the spring and summer when you’re usually running the air conditioner more often.
Upgrade Units
If you have an older HVAC system, then you should consider upgrading it so that it runs more efficiently. An older system compared to a newer one has filters that might not function as well and often has parts that use more energy than those in modern units. New units are designed to save energy and only run when they are needed instead of staying on all the time. When your unit is upgraded, you need to ensure that there are no drafts inside the home to let cold or hot air in when the unit is running. Work with professional air conditioning services to make your upgrades.
Maintenance
Regular maintenance of your appliances and the heating and cooling units in the home can save money on your bill. Change the filters and the thermostat, and make sure the plugs and cords are in good condition. If there is a short in the plugs, then it can impact the amount of energy that is used.
Peak Times
Only run your larger appliances at night. Electric companies capitalize on the number of people using appliances during the day, so the rates are higher. If you run things like the washer and dryer or the dishwasher at night, then the rates will be lower.
Unless you decide not to use any kind of electricity at all, you’re going to have a bill to pay each month. That doesn’t mean that your bill has to be so high that it eats your savings account when it’s paid. With a few adjustments and maintaining what you have, you can begin saving money on your energy bill.
