If you are like me and every other homeowner we simply dread the monthly bills. None more so than the monthly electricity bill, especially in winter. So to help you and I plan and manage our finances, read on to learn how to save on electricity bills.

How to save on electricity bills every month

Most people know that it is vital to turn the lights off in an unoccupied room and keep their cooling and heating minimum. Be that as it may, there are a couple of more strategic approaches to cut a significant amount of cash off of your monthly electricity bill. Also, the best part is that there are many ways to save on energy costs without sacrificing any of your day-to-day comforts.

Do an electricity audit

Don’t allow the term “audit” to scare you. Essentially, auditing your electricity usage is simply reviewing and going through your electric consumption at home. However, if you want the best and most detailed energy audit, it is better to hire a professional from available electric companies in your area. Fortunately, a lot of electric companies offer auditing services free of charge.

All in all, what happens during an energy audit? Expect that the auditor will need to get some information about your concerns. You also need to inform the auditing officer what you’re hoping to achieve through the audit. Electricity auditors will run tests, survey your house for air leaks, and assess the quality of your home insulation. After the inspection, the auditing officer will give you a list of the best course of action to resolve any significant issues.

However, if you want to do the audit yourself, you can do so using a simple auditing tool available online. If the audit results foreshadow a lot of expensive fixes in the future, don’t stress. Slowly go through the list of fixes and check what changes are urgent or worth the cost.

Ensure you properly set a realistic budget for the home improvements you plan to make. After applying the needed fixes, sit back, relax, and watch your monthly electricity bill reduce continuously.

Switch energy providers

Many homeowners don’t know that switching to a no-deposit electricity plan from a long-term agreement is possible. You just need to find an energy provider that offers you a choice to pay only for the power you consume. This is a dramatic way to save on electricity bills.

Switching to a new energy supplier with a better deal can be especially useful for those attempting to stay within a specific budget or cut down their electricity costs. Some surveys show that 30% will stick to cheaper fossil fuels, while the remaining percentage would switch to a renewable energy provider after careful deliberation that eventually gains satisfaction with their decision.

Improve your home’s insulation and airflow

Many people know that a significant part of a home’s electricity consumption is cooling, such as air conditioning. One reason why individuals spend such a lot of cash on air conditioning is their non-efficient home design. To reduce the electricity consumption of your cooling unit, build appropriate insulation inside your home.

For example, what material do you use for your ceiling? If you’re using plywood, note that the heat from your rooftop will quickly transfer to the thin material. Choose a ceiling material that will provide extra insulation to allow the area to warm slowly. If you want to ensure your house has proper insulation right from the start of the construction stage, you can try using gypsum boards.

From the roof dividers, the gypsum’s thick material can hinder heat from reaching the floor. Gypsum can likewise act as a fire preventive material to your house. Your ceiling’s height is also a factor in keeping the room cool. You need to understand that lower ceilings would allow the heat to reach the floor quickly.

Unplug devices you’re not using

All the smaller devices and appliances in your house don’t utilize a lot of energy individually. However, the costs can add up if you add them all together. Many people are unaware that if they leave appliances or devices plugged in, they will consume energy. Most individuals think that if they turn off a device, it wont consume electricity. This is a total misconception.

The electricity that plugged-in devices consume while turned off is known as “phantom energy.” Although phantom energy does not take up a considerable part of your electricity bill, it’s best to save on money whenever possible. If you plug in an unused device or appliance, it still costs you small quantities of money accumulated over the long run. However, there’s a way to go around this issue – use power strips.

Rather than manually unplugging and plugging everything in your home every day, you can connect your devices to a power strip. If you are not using the device, you can simply switch the strip off to prevent consuming energy. A few gadgets do utilize a significantly large amount of electricity, such as computers. Thus, it is best to turn these off when not in use rather than leave them on standby.

Final thoughts on how to save on electricity bills

There are many ways to bring down your monthly electricity bill. By re-evaluating your home and how you use electricity daily, you can find out how to reduce your energy consumption. Nonetheless, not all the tips above will individually diminish your electricity costs. Regardless, by applying a couple of these electricity-saving approaches together, you can cut off a significant amount of your energy costs.

FURTHER READING FOR HOMEOWNERS ON HOME MAINTENANCE

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Home maintenance – How to fix hidden problems

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Roof maintenance – Essential for every homeowner’s peace of mind