Luckily, there are some things that you can do during the winter, and other times, to help cut your winter electric bills while still living comfortably.
1.Adjust Your Thermostat
This can be one of the hardest tips for people to follow, but by reducing the temperature in your house by one or two degrees, you can save a great deal of money on your heating bills. For example, try setting the heat at 68 or 70 instead of 72. It’ll be cooler in your house, but you can wear a comfortable coat and some house slippers during the winter.
2. Caulk Cracks and Leaks
There are many places where warm air can seep out of a house, allowing cold air to creep in. Thoroughly check the interior and exterior of your home for cracks and gaps, paying particular attention to areas around chimneys, furnace flues, pipes, electrical outlets, windows and doors. Fill small leaks with caulk to cut your winter electric bills.
3. Put the Sun to Work
Throw back the curtains and open the shades during the day and let natural sunlight in whenever possible, especially on any southern-exposure windows. Natural sunlight keeps you from having to flip on the light switch. It also warms up the room naturally so you don’t have to crank up the space heater or the thermostat so much.
4. Close the Shades at Night
Once you’ve let all that sunlight into your home, don’t let the heat just escape again. Close your shades once the sun has gone down, to keep the heat trapped inside. By containing the heat already in your home, you will need less energy to maintain your home at the temperate you want and cut your winter electric bills. Make sure to close the shades throughout your home as heat will find the easiest route to escape.
5. Run Appliances at Night
It may shock you to know that electricity doesn’t always cost the same. For instance, some companies charge six cents more per kilowatt-hour during peak energy use times. Avoiding heavy energy use during these periods of “high demand” goes a long way to cutting your energy bill. Switch to running your dishwasher, washer and dryer at night, and you could save hundreds of dollars every year.
6. Avoid Energy Vampires
Electronics and lights account for roughly 12 percent of a family’s energy consumption, and electronics continue to use energy even when turned off or on standby mode. Combat energy vampires by plugging TVs, computers, and similar items into a smart power cord that can be turned off via an app. For small appliances that are used less often, such as a toaster, simply unplug when not in use.
7. Monitor Water Heater Temperatures
If your apartment has its own water heater, consider turning the temperature down while everyone is away so that it’s not heating unneeded water. A water heater jacket may also help reduce heating costs.
8. Smart Power Strips
Smart power strips prevent electronics from wasting electricity when you’re not using them by turning them completely off when they go into standby mode.
Following these quick tips will help you save significantly on your power bill throughout the winter months. If you’ve tried these suggestions and are still seeing high bills, contact Comet Electric at 724-266-7177
