More Tips on How to Cut Household Expenses

Six tips for cutting your electric bill.

There are a number of ways to cut household expenses.  One of the easiest way to reduce expenses, and often most noticeable, is by cutting  your electric bill.  Here are several easy ways to reduce household expenses by reducing your electric bill.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

Use a programmable thermostat to set the temperatures at less comfortable levels when you’re not home or sleeping. Set the thermostat a few degrees cooler or warmer (like 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer). Installing a programmable thermostat can be quite easy and will help save on your electric bill. An energy star programmable thermostat is reported to save up to $150/yr. These units save energy by offering 4 convenient, pre-programmed temperature settings that try to anticipate when it's convenient for you to scale back on heating or cooling.

You should also consider using ceiling fans. If you get the reversible kind, you can use them to push the warm air down to people level in the winter. In the summer, a ceiling fan can help it feel cooler even at warmer thermostat settings. In the summer a ceiling fan with blades rotating counter-clockwise helps cool us by evaporating moisture on our skin. On a hot and humid summer day, this  can make the room feel six to seven degrees cooler so you can avoid running the air conditioning even when the actual room temperature is in the mid-eighties. In the winter months the room can actually be made warmer by rotating the ceiling fan blades clockwise and forcing warm air from the ceiling down into the living area. This warmer air allows you to adjust your thermostat so that the heating system runs less, saving money on heating costs.

Use heavy drapes over your windows. Heavy drapes help insulate the windows. in the winter, they help keep the cold air out, and in the summer they help keep the hot air out.  If you have drafty windows, heavy drapes can help cut down on the draft.  Make sure that floor vents don't blow air behind the drapes, if they do, get something to redirect the air flow.

To save on your electric bill, you should also unplug appliances you’re not using. Even if an appliance is turned off, it still uses a small amount of energy, if it’s plugged in. This is especially effective if you’re going out of town. You'd be surprised how much power the "off" appliance use

Switch to Compact Fluorescent  Bulbs (CFB). Spiral CFL bulbs are made in several sizes to and will fit most existing light fixtures, they use a small fraction of the power, last up to 10x longer, and can make a real difference on your electric bill. A CFB can pay for itself in only 3 months but can last several years. Compact fluorescents emit the same light as classic incandescent lights, but use 75% or 80% less electricity.

Have an energy audit performed on your home. Many electric companies offer energy audits free.

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