How to Reduce Your Electricity Bill

According to the Alliance to Save Energy in Washington D.C., the average American spends $1,400 a year on utility bills. With prices going up and more and more losing their jobs, nowadays it is important to save money any way you can. By implementing the following tips, you can save a signficant amount on your electricity bill.

By employing some or all of these tips, it will help you save money on your electric bill.

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient flourescent bulbs. Flourescent bulbs use up to 75% less energy and last ten times longer.
• Turn off lights when not needed.
• In areas where you don't need bright light, use dimmers or lower wattage bulbs to save money.
• Unplug charging units when not in use.
• Clean the coils and underneath your refrigerator.
• Replace your current thermostate with a programmable, digital one if you haven't already done so.
• When you replace appliances, replace them with energy-efficient ones. Front-loading washing machines are more economical than top-loading washing machines.
• Install ceiling fans. During the summer, circulating air feels cooler.
• Do not use the pre-rinse cycle or heated dry cycle on your dishwasher.
• Turn your hot water heater off when not in use. Twenty minutes before showering, doing dishes, doing laundry, turn it back on. Water heaters are the home's third biggest energy use and account of 14% to20% of your energy bill. You can also place a water heater jacket on your water heater.
• Use power strips to plug electrical devices into. When you're not at home or asleep at night, unplug the power strips. Some appliances and devices draw energy even when they're not in use.
• Replace standard shower and faucet heads with low-flow ones.
• Be sure to replace and clean your furnace and air-conditioner filters frequently. When using your dryer, also be sure to clean the lint filter after each load.
• By placing a few, dry hand towels or washcloths in the dryer, you can reduce your drying time by as much as 20%. Use a clothesline during nice weather to save money.
• Wash your clothes in cold water. Using cold water can save up to 8 cents a load.
• If you have a toaster oven, use it whenever possible. It saves time in cooking.
• During the summer, do chores that create heat like drying clothes or cooking after the sun and temperature has gone down. This way your air conditioner won't have to work as hard to cool the house down.
• Before placing leftovers in the refrigerators, let the food cool to room temperature first.
• Don't cram your refrigerator full. Allowing air circulation between the food items saves money.
• Defrost your freezer on a regular basis.
• Make sure the seals on the refrigerator and freezer properly seal.
• When you're done using the oven, open the door to warm the house.
• During the summer, keep the shades and curtain down to reduce the amount of sunlight in your home. During the winter time, open them during the day to take advantage of the passive heat from sunlight. Using insulated drapes on the south windows during the summer time and north windows during the winter time can also help reduce cooling and heating bills.
• Since heat rises, during the winter close the heating vents in the upstairs.
• Check for drafts around windows and doors and recaulk around edges.
• Dress warmer and turn down your thermostat.
• Insulate around light switches and electrical outlets.

 Although in some cases you have to spend money to save money, many of these tips don't cost anything. By saving money on your electric bill, you can use the savings to pay down your debt or in other areas where extra money is needed. Although some of these tips may seem inconsequential, you would be suprised how much it adds up to in year.