There’s nothing like this time of year. White coats of snow on the lawn, cuddling up under a feather comforter, opening your light bill and keeling over from a heart attack. Yeah, nothing like it.
Every season brings it’s own sneaky ways to run up your utility bills, but here are 5 simple ways to bring the bills back down. (Editor’s note: savings estimates here are based on a 2,400 square foot home, 12 month average.)
5 Simple Ways To Save $191.00 On Utilities In One Year:
1. Turn it down: I remember actually accusing my mother of child abuse because she kept the thermostat at 68 degrees in winter. I have become my mother, but meaner. Dropping the thermostat to 66 degrees from the average of 72 degrees saves a whopping $85.00 per year.
2. Turn it up: re-setting your A/C to 78 degrees from the average of 70 saves another $38.00 per year. If you live in a dry climate–like Utah–utilizing a swamp cooler instead of an air conditioner not only saves even more money, there’s usually incentives from your local government. We got a $500.00 bonus from the state for installing a swamp cooler instead of an expensive new A/C.
3. Check for leaks: water leaks can be so tiny that you don’t even notice them–but they add up in a hurry. Not only that, some water companies–like ours–actually fine you for increases on your usage that they attribute to leaks. Nice, eh? If you’re seeing an uptick in your water bill, you can check for leaks yourself–here’s how–or call a plumber. Average faucet drips and leaks can cost around $18.00 per year. Saved!
4. Add insulation: just by adding a layer of draft-stopping tape around two of our doors saved us $28.00 in heating bills this winter. The new insulation strips and taping are easy and almost invisible. You can check for leaks and drafts yourself–here’s how.
5. Air dry: skimping on your blowdryer alone can save a shocking amount of money. But if you program your dishwasher to air dry and not heat dry, you’re saving an extra $21.00 a year, if you use the dishwasher every day.
Based on my family’s reaction, the lowered thermostat caused the greatest discontent. Maybe experiment a degree or two one way or another to see what silences the whining. For you, it may be not using your blowdryer every day. But even if one of these ideas seems too miserable to contemplate, there’s dozens of other sneaky savers that you may not even notice.
