How to Save on Your Electric Bill

With the price of everything going up in our economy we must strive to lower what we can in our budgets. Doing so make you a better steward of God's money and allows the extra money saved to go towards a more needed area in your budget.

I've done a bit of research and I have come up with these helpful money saving tips to help lower the cost of your monthly electric bill.



KEEPING THE BLINDS CLOSED during the day in the summer months for a cooler house or open them in the winter to help warm your home. This will save you on your cooling/heating bill. I also recommend changing out your thin curtains for energy efficient light blocking curtains if possible. We live in a two-story Cape style home and the upstairs doesn't cool as well as the downstairs, so I make use of these curtains in my children's rooms and it has definitely made a huge difference in the temperature. I also, have these type curtains in my bedroom due to my hubby's work schedule. It sometimes requires him to work overnight shifts which means he will have to sleep during the day and these curtains definitely make it dark enough for him to sleep comfortably as well as cooling off the bedroom substantially. The light blocking curtains also help insulate the windows from drafts, making them a great choice in the winter months as well.

KEEPING YOUR THERMOSTAT A FEW degrees higher in the summer months and a few degrees lower in the winter. It is recommended to set it at 78 degrees in the summer and 68 degrees in the winter. However, I personally think 78 degrees in the summer is too hot for me, but every little bit helps, so I try to set it at 72 degrees. I can deal with 68 degree setting in the winter ;)

SWITCHING ALL OF YOUR REGULAR ENERGY SUCKING LIGHT BULBS for the more energy efficient CFL light bulbs. This is a 75% energy savings compared to the use of regular bulbs. They are so worth it!

USING ONLY THE WASHER and trying to use the clothesline to "solar dry" your clothes if possible. This will cut your energy use so much and you get the bonus of that fresh outdoor scent on your clothes!

UNPLUG ELECTRONICS AND APPLIANCES WHEN NOT IN USE. We call these power vampires. Even when they are shut off they are still pulling electric as long as they are plugged in. This includes any phone chargers, computers or laptops( if you will be walking away from your computer or laptop for 5-10 mins put them on sleep mode to save at least 5% on energy) toasters, tv's, dvd players, radios, game consoles, etc.

WASHING CLOTHES AND DISHES IN COLD WATER ONLY. Using cold water reduces your washer's energy use by 75%. I would also recommend washing ONLY full loads and using the shortest cycle necessary to get your clothing clean.

KEEPING SECOND STORY DOORS CLOSED during the day for cooling and heating efficiency. Like I said, in my home there's a definite difference in the temperature on our second floor and by keeping those doors closed, my air conditioner and heater doesn't switch on as much during the day.

USE WEATHER STRIPPING OR CAULK on and around leaky doors and windows and install gasket covers behind outlet covers. This will save up to 10% on energy costs!

KEEP CEILING FANS OR BOX FANS OFF when not in the room. Fans only cool people. Not rooms. They make the person feel cooler, so you can turn your thermostat on a higher setting, but this only works if you are actually in the room. So if you're no longer in the room turn them off to save on your cooling bill.

KEEP THE REFRIGERATOR CLOSED UNTIL YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WANT. This is especially for the children. Don't allow them to stand in front of the fridge holding the door open while they search for something they may want. This lets all of the cool air out of the fridge and makes it work harder to cool the interior once the door is closed. Also, make sure your freezer is stocked. The freezer is more efficient at cooling when it's full than empty.

KEEP YOUR SHOWERS COOLER AND SHORTER. Reducing the showering time by just a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of water per month for a family of four (more so if you have a larger family). Showering accounts for 2/3 of your water heating costs and if you cut your showers in half it will reduce your water heating costs by 33%!

DECREASE THE HOT WATER HEATER TEMPERATURE to "normal" or 120 degrees. This alone can save between 7-11% on energy costs.

INSTALL LOW-FLOW SHOWERHEADS AND FAUCETS for a savings of 10-16% on water heating costs.

MAKING SURE THE FIREPLACE DAMPER IS CLOSED when not in use to prevent escaping heat or cool air from your home.

Of course there's always some no brainers like turning off the lights when you're not in the room, but I figured you already knew that.

I would love to know any other things that you do to save on your electric bill that I haven't mentioned. Please comment below :)