Six Steps to Slash your Utility Bills

Photo by Jim Larrison via Flickr

Whether you are trying to keep your home warm in the winter or cool in the summer, utility bills can add up fast. Follow these tips to reduce your utility bills year round.

Outside the House

Seal Cracks

Poorly-sealed windows and doors let heat out of your house in the winter and into your house in the summer. Check the windows and doors around your home, and make sure they are well-sealed; if they aren’t, you can find caulking at your local hardware store that should do the trick.

Plant Trees and Bushes Strategically

Be smart about where you plant trees and other greenery. Plants that are too close to your air conditioning unit could block air flow and reduced efficiency, but if you plant in the right places, you can use trees and shrubs to shade your home from the sun.

Choose the Right Materials

The type of material you use on the outside of your home can substantially affect the temperature inside your home. Consider the climate you live in when choosing materials for your siding and your roof. Roofing companies in Vancouver will have different recommendations than those in Las Vegas. Consider energy efficient materials like tile, and make sure your roofing has a reflective coating to protect you from the sun, especially if you live somewhere hot.

Something as simple as the color of your paint could also affect your energy uses. Most of us learned in grade school that light colors reflect heat while dark colors absorb it. Use these principles to your advantage. If you live in a hot sunny climate, a light-colored home is a good idea. If you live somewhere colder, you may want to consider a darker color of paint or darker tiles on your roof.

Inside the House

Consolidate with Power Strips

You probably know you should turn off appliances like the TV and computer when you aren’t using them, but you may have forgotten that many electrical items still use a surprising amount of energy when they are powered off. It would be tedious to unplug every electronic appliance in your home any time you weren’t using it. Instead, consolidate your plugs with a power strip. For example, plug the television, Blu-ray player, and speakers all into the same power strip.  Then instead of unplugging everything, and then plugging it back in later, you can simply switch off the power strip when you aren’t watching anything.

Insulate Everything

Insulation helps lower your utility bills whether it is hot or cold. Check the insulation in your attic, to keep you energy use down. You should also make sure your water heater is insulated (especially if it is an older one) so that it doesn’t have to work extra hard to heat water in your home. Small changes like keeping your windows covered will also add a layer of insulation in cold and warm weather.

Make Smart Switches

There are a number of small changes you can make around your home to save energy. Switch out old light bulbs for fluorescent light bulbs. Fluorescent light bulbs use less energy, but they also last much longer, so even though the initial price is a bit higher, you will quickly see your investment pay off. You can make other switches around your home that will save energy as well. Wash your clothes in cold water instead of hot whenever possible, and rotate your ceiling fan blades to push warm air back down into your home in the winter.      

Some of these ideas require a bit of investment while others are almost effortless. Do what works best for you and your home. Use these ideas to keep your utility costs down all year long.

Author Byline