Tired Of Paying A Ton For Electricity? Do This

Do you wait until the last minute to open your utility bill every month? If so, it’s probably because you’re scared of how high it will be. But you can’t ignore your electric bill for too long, or your lights will eventually shut off for nonpayment.

What are your options when you can’t afford a costly energy bill? You could see if you qualify for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). It will offer government assistance to make your monthly utility bill more affordable. But if you don’t qualify for LIHEAP, your next best move is to start doing everything in your power to use less power. These tips will help you do just that:

Energy-Saving Tips to Lower Your Electric Bill

Ditch Your Dryer for a Drying Rack

Drying your clothes is a necessity. But it’s also one of the biggest energy users in your home. Instead of using the dryer, buy a cheap drying rack. Hang up your clothes when it’s sunny outside, and you’ll be able to dry them at a fraction of the cost.

More Fans, Less AC

If you were to dissect your utility bill to see what makes it so expensive, you would see that your AC is one of the biggest culprits. Unfortunately, you can’t just turn the AC off unless you want to live in pure discomfort. What’s a compromise? Adjust your thermostat a couple of degrees higher and use your ceiling fans more often. This will help you stay cool for cheaper.

Stop Leaving Everything Plugged In

Do you know what “phantom energy” is? It’s when you turn off a device, but it still sucks up energy when it’s off. Even though this seems like a minuscule consumption of energy, it’s not. About 75 percent of your energy usage comes from devices that are off, so to avoid this issue, unplug them as well.

To kill several energy-sapping birds with one stone, pick up some cheap power strips the next time you’re at the store. They can house several plugs, allowing you to unplug multiple devices at once with one switch.

Get an Energy Audit

Do you feel like you do everything possible to conserve energy, yet your utility bill keeps increasing? If so, you can better understand where all of that electricity is going by getting an energy audit.

Contact your utility company to schedule an audit. Many offer them at no cost. Then, once you have your results, you can see what needs to be changed to reduce your electricity bill.

Cut Your Lighting Costs by 90 Percent

You can’t live at night without the lights on. Instead of keeping them off and living in the dark, install LED lighting. Research shows that it can reduce lighting costs by a whopping 90 percent, which can make your utility bill go down bigtime.