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You may have noticed that your gas and electricity bills are more expensive than usual this year.According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, those electricity prices will only increase significantly throughout the summer.
In fact, the EIA estimates that wholesale electricity in the Northeast could increase by $100 over last year.Prices are also rising in other parts of the country.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce utility costs, there are many simple steps you can take to lower your energy bills, from turning off the lights to doing laundry cost-effectively.Here are the top 23 ways to start saving now.
Dishwashers may use electricity, but they save more energy, money, water, and time than washing dishes by hand.
According to the California Energy Commission, replacing handwashing with an Energy Star-compliant dishwasher can save you an average of 5,000 gallons of water and $40 a year in utility bills, not to mention your 230 hours of time.
Opt out of the dishwasher’s hot dry cycle.Instead, open the door and let your plate air dry.If your dishwasher has an air dry option, use it instead of heat dry.
According to the California Energy Commission, air drying panels can reduce a dishwasher’s energy use by 15 to 50 percent.
These dishwasher tips won’t save power if you have to reload them because the dishes won’t come out clean.That’s why you need to make sure your dishes are loaded correctly.
For example, you should place plates on the bottom shelf, bowls on the top shelf, and cups upside down.Pots and other bulky items should be washed separately.
If you live in an area with hot summers, turn on the ceiling fans instead of touching the thermostat.According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, using a ceiling fan can make a room feel 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler, and a fan uses 10 percent of the energy of a central air conditioner.
If you haven’t switched to LED lighting, now is the time.The U.S. Department of Energy says LED bulbs consume at least 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 25 times longer.Over time, this equates to significant savings.
If you frequently follow your family from room to room and turn off the lights behind them, a little automation can save you time and money.One solution might be a motion detector, such as GE’s LED Plus series or Ring’s smart outdoor lights.They turn on when they sense someone is in the room and turn off when no movement is detected.
According to the California Energy Commission, if you turn off the burner early, the stove will release enough heat to finish whatever you’re cooking and save electricity.This trick works for most dishes, but there are some exceptions.
Every time you open the oven door while cooking, the internal temperature drops by 25 degrees Fahrenheit.Then the oven has to use more power to restore the temperature.To save electricity, peek through the window and rely on the light from the oven instead of opening the door.
If you’re heating or cooking something small, use a smaller device, such as a microwave or oven.These use much less electricity than an oven.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, dimming lights reduces power and output, which helps save energy.
Some dimmer switches can be controlled via an app, like the Lutron Caseta In-Wall Wireless Smart Lighting Kit, giving you more ways to adjust your lights and save power on the go.
You may think your electronics and appliances are energy efficient, but you may be using more electricity than you think.
The TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini is a gadget that plugs into the wall; you can schedule it to turn your electronics on and off automatically.
Putting your electronics on standby is cheaper than leaving them running 24/7, but it still uses a lot of power.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, standby electronics can account for 10% or more of your electricity bill.
One of the best ways to control these power wasters is to plug them into a power strip or smart outlet, like the TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip.
When you’re in bed or away from home, simply turn off the strip or use the smart switch’s app to turn off power-hungry devices.
Do the thermostats from the 1970s still exist?Use a programmable thermostat like Nest, Ecobee or Honeywell to turn it off.According to the Energy Conservation Alliance, switching to a programmable thermostat can save you up to 10 percent on cooling and heating costs.
When considering a programmable thermostat, check your current thermostat location.It could be on the wrong wall.
Drafts, direct sunlight, and other factors can trigger your air conditioner or furnace to kick in when you don’t need it.This is the perfect place to put a thermostat.
The California Energy Commission says dryers use about 6 percent of a household’s total electricity consumption.You can help your dryer work more efficiently by keeping it clean, and emptying the lint collector after each load is one of the most important things you can do to stop your dryer from overworking.
Start using cold water when doing laundry.Why?According to Consumer Reports, because 90 percent of the electricity used for washing loads is used to heat water.
The Energy Conservation Coalition also says that washing clothes in cold water can save you $63 a year on your electricity bill.Most detergents are designed to work better in cold water anyway, so this is easy to replace.
Older appliances aren’t as energy efficient as they might be.For example, Energy Star estimates that a 10-year-old washing machine costs an average of about $190 per year.
Turn off your dryer when you buy a washing machine.Your old dryer may be wasting 20% more energy than a newer ENERGY STAR certified model.
By giving your clothes one more spin in the washing machine, you can save up to half the drying time.Here are more ways to save electricity on laundry day.
According to Energy, switching to a 2.5-gallon-per-minute (low-flow) shower head and showering for 10 minutes not only saves 5 gallons of water over taking a shower, but it can also save you up to $145 per year in electricity bills.
Air ducts in your home can cost you a fortune.Ducts with holes, blockages and leaks can lose approximately 20% of HVAC efficiency.If you have any of these issues, have your plumbing checked by a professional.
You may not be able to convert your entire home to solar power, but there are many small ways to incorporate it into your life.Here are other small ways you can use solar energy.
Post time: Jul-21-2022