How to Save Money On Your Utilities

There are a lot of ways to save money on your utility bills, you just have to know where to look.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Check with your utility company. A lot of utility companies have information that is free or very low in cost that will help you save money with your utilities.
   
   Also, check with your utility company to see if they offer energy audits of your home. These might be free through your utility company or they might be able to give you a name of someone who does these for very little cost.

2. Shade your house. Plant trees on the southern and western sides of your home. This will provide shade in the summer and winter and still allow the sun to shine through.

3. Change those light bulbs. Purchasing energy-efficient light bulbs will save you money and they are just as bright as a regular light bulb.
   
   Also, make sure you are using the correct wattage bulb. You will be wasting a lot of energy if you use a 100 watt bulb in a 60 watt fixture.
   
   Saving money on your utility bills can be as simple as flipping a switch...Make sure you turn off the lights when you leave a room!

4. If you use the television to keep you company when you are cleaning the house or just to have it on...Don't! If you have to have some noise, then use the radio. Same goes if you go on vacation and you are trying to fend off burglars...put your radio and/or t.v. on a timer...

5. Make sure your appliances have a high EER (energy efficiency ratios)...they might cost a little more in the beginning, but in the long run they will save you money on your utility bills...

6. NUKE it...using the microwave or toaster oven over using the regular oven will use a lot less energy. So if your dinner can be made in one of the smaller appliances, then use those...

7. Make sure your dishwasher and your washing machine are full before you use them. Your dishwasher doesn't know that it is only half full and it will still be using the full amount of water to clean...same goes for the washing machine.
   
   Also, don't use the "heater" dry on your dishwasher. Odds are you won't need or be putting those dishes away until the next day, so let them dry on their own.
   
   With the washer, set up the washer to do an extended spin, or put your clothes through the spin cycle once more before you put them in the dryer. The more water you can get out of your clothes, the less energy it will take for the dryer to dry them. If you do have a small load in the washer, why not hang them up around the house. You can always put your clothes on their hangers and hang them on the shower rod until morning.

8. IF you have a deep freezer, make sure you aren't using a lot of electricity to freeze only one pack of hamburger or the turkey you bought for last years Thanksgiving...

9. Surge protectors can prevent expensive damage if lightning hits. This will also save electricity. Put them throughout your home...remember, lamps, fans, VCR's and cell phones all can be destroyed if lightning hits and they aren't on a surge protector.

10. Did you know that some electric companies have what they call "off-peak" hours. If you have a timer on your dishwasher, why not let it wash your dishes at 2 a.m. if it will save you money over washing them at 7 p.m. when the electricity might cost you more.

11. Turn off your hot water heater if you are going to be away from home for any length of time. If you aren't going to be home, why does your water need to be hot.
    
    You can also try turning down the temperature on your hot water heater. You might not notice a few degrees lower, but your electric bill will.
    
    You can buy a wrap that you put around your hot water tank. This will keep the water hot longer, which means your hot water tank doesn't have to work as often to heat the water.
    
    You can also install a timer on your hot water tank. This will give your hot water tank a break in the middle of the night when no one is using it...you can also set it so that it won't heat up water in the middle of the day when no one is there. And you can set the timer so that it will have your water heated for you when you get up in the morning.
    
    Why not insulate your hot water pipes while you are at it. Think about the cold pipes that your hot water has to flow through to get to you. If these pipes are insulated, the water will heat up quicker...saving you money.

12. Check the water level on your toilet...you can lower this water level by bending the float so that it sets lower in the toilet. If you have a very old toilet, you can put bricks inside the tank (make sure they don't block the flush valve/float)...If you have a water bill, this will save you a lot of money. If you don't (because you have a well, etc.) this will save water and help the environment.

13. Dripping faucets aren't only annoying, but they can cost you a lot of money in wasted water. Most of the time, a leaky faucet can be fixed by you...
    
    Same goes with a toilet that runs constantly. A simple fix can save you a lot of money. If you want to see if your toilet is leaking...put some red food coloring in the tank...wait about one hour and if you see any red in the bowl, then you have a leak that needs to be fixed.
    
    Also, water your lawn at night. Put your sprinkler system on a timer. This way the water won't evaporate in the middle of the day because of the heat won't be there.

14. Turn down the heat and put on a sweater and/or turn up your air and take off some clothes.
    
    Changing the temperature to a few degrees lower in the winter and higher in the summer can save you a lot of money.
    
    Also, when it is not THAT hot, use a fan instead of your air conditioning.
    
    Clean your heating/cooling system and have it inspected yearly. Change your filter often (if your filter is only good for 3 months, then change it every three months.)

Tips & Warnings

• Saving money on your utilities is easy with a few little tricks...
• Changing the battery in your smoke detectors can save more then money...it can save your life. Make it a habit to change the battery twice a year (at each time change)

Resources

• How to Make a Budget You Can Stick With
• Pinch Your Pennies

[maryanne09]

on 3/15/2009 Great article. :o)

[LouisJeffries]

on 1/10/2009 Boy this was a lot of great tips. I especially like the surge protector idea. You could have had 2 or three articles with all these tips.
Thanks

[PropMgr]

on 1/6/2009 Great way to save on your utilities...I'm not only going to use these at my house, but I'm going to pass them along to my residents...great tips!

[FrazzledNanny]

on 1/4/2009 Great ideas! Saving money on utilities is something my husband and I are always trying to do. ome of your ideas for saving on utilities we already do. Some we will try to start doing. Thanks! 5*****

[Gracie1402]

on 1/2/2009 these are great tips! Doing a few little things that really take less than 1 minute can save SO much money!