Cut Down Costs on Your Electric Bill
Electricity may not grow on trees but it can definitely cost you plenty of green. Did you know the average U.S household spends approximately $1,350 on electric bills every year. If you’re looking to cut costs on your electric bill, you’ll need to do more than just unplugging a few things while you’re not using them.
Below we’ve made a list, showing you what appliances use the most electricity in your home. We hope you can use these simple cost-saving tips to make cuts wherever necessary.
Average Home Power Usage Costs for Common Appliances
1. Central Air and Heating
Costs You: $1,100 per year on average.
Your HVAC system is typically the number one energy user in your home. After all, it runs near-constantly, all year long. Luckily, you have plenty of control over this system — and plenty of easy opportunities to lower your costs.
Best Ways to Save on Electricity Costs for Your HVAC System:
- Install a programmable or smart thermostat. Set it at a comfortable temperature and program it to run less at times when no one’s home. Then leave it alone. Frequently changing your thermostat settings wastes an enormous amount of energy.
- Change your air filter regularly — 3-4 times per year is alright but every 30 days is ideal — and keep the outdoor unit free of debris. This ensures that your system runs at peak efficiency.
- Every year, check your duct-work for air leaks. You don’t want the air you’re paying to heat and cool escaping into your attic or walls.
- Upgrade an older system. Furnaces and air conditioners can last about 15 years before they stop working efficiently. If yours are past their prime, consider replacing them with Energy Star-rated models.
2. Water Heater
Costs You: $780 per year on average.
Your hot water heater generally only runs about 3 hours each day, but during that small window it uses an enormous amount of electricity. We didn’t include dishwashers or washing machines on this list because their electricity use is negligible, remember it’s the hot water that really costs you. The good news is that there are ways to lower your power usage here without sacrificing hot showers:
- Lower your water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees. Safety note: if your unit’s thermostat is behind screw-on panels, turn off power to your heater before opening them.
- Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket with your unit’s recommended R-value. You can find the R-value, which refers to a material’s insulation capacity, in your owner’s manual.
- Wash your clothes in cold water. Modern detergents are just as effective in cold water and your clothes will hold their shape and color longer this way.
- Stop hand-washing. It actually uses more hot water than running a full dishwasher.
- Drain the sediment from your heater’s tank twice per year. This project takes less than 15 minutes and will make your unit much more efficient.
3. Lighting
Costs You: $6.00 per incandescent lightbulb per year.
$6.00 doesn’t sound too bad, but when you consider just how many lightbulbs your home contains, and how long you leave them on each day you may rethink. But there are plenty of ways you can curb your power usage here.
Best Ways to Save on Electricity Costs for Your Lighting:
- Switch to energy-efficient CFL or LED lightbulbs, especially for your most-used light fixtures.
- Rely on lamps wherever possible. They cost less on electricity than overhead lighting and allow you to light only the area of a room you’re actually using.
- Install dimmer switches. This allows you to use less electricity whenever bright light isn’t needed.
- Leave your lights off during the day unless they’re truly needed. Always switch off the lights anytime you’ll be out of a room for longer than 15 minutes.
Now that you have a better understanding of what appliances cost you the more, you can make a change! Remember, if you’re looking to make your home more environmentally friendly, consider updating your home with these tips. Contact us at Dumpster Rental Inc for an affordable roll off container!
