We all remember that childhood friend whose dad was the thermostat police, or maybe it was your dad. Now maybe you’re the thermostat police! Is that seriously all there is to saving money on your electric bill? It turns out that a difference of 2 degrees really will impact your bill quite a bit. When it comes to reducing your home electric bill, there are several things everyone can do to conserve energy.
Why Are All the Lights On?
If you’ve got kids, there’s a good chance you’ve asked this question to no one in particular on more than one occasion. People who don’t pay bills love to turn lights on and never turn them off. With modern technology, it’s possible that we can finally put this question, and the frustration that causes it, to rest. Smart outlets and motion activated lights make it much easier to control light usage in your home. Lighting is generally the biggest part of the electric bill, so taking advantage of these simple options can significantly reduce costs in the long run.
LED lights use 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, according to the Energy.gov website. By converting to LED lighting throughout your home, you could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars per year on your electric bill. When you do the conversion, remember your occasional use lights! Switch to LED holiday lighting, pool lighting, landscape lighting, and outdoor shed lighting. One often overlooked advantage of LED lighting is that it doesn’t emit heat the way incandescent bulbs do. This means that your air conditioning unit won’t be working as hard either.
Saving Energy Around the House
To really maximize energy savings throughout your home, do a room by room audit to determine what’s costing you more than it should.
- Are heating and cooling units being properly maintained?
- Have you installed programmable thermostats?
- Is your water heater up to date?
- Is your insulation in good shape, and do you have moisture control?
- Do you take advantage of natural sunlight, or use darkening shades when needed?
- Are you using Energy Star rated appliances in every room?
- Do you wash clothes mostly in cold water, avoid less than full loads, and line dry when possible?
The good news is that saving electricity is something most homeowners can do themselves. By being energy conscious and shifting a few habits, you could see real changes in your monthly electric bill.
Know When to Call a Certified Electrician for Help
While you can accomplish a lot of electricity saving tasks around your home on your own, some projects call for a certified electrician. Not all electricians are the same, though. At Olson’s, we train each technician on the tenants of energy conservation. When we visit to give you a consultation on how to reduce electricity usage throughout your home, you can trust that we are up to date on the best solutions for the size and structure of your house.
From lighting installation, to home rewiring, to electrical system updates, our priority is making sure that your house is safe and running efficiently. Not only will we recommend the right solutions for your house that are in line with your budget and practical needs, but we will train you on how to make the most efficient use of electricity throughout your property. If reducing electricity costs is one of your priorities this year, contact us to schedule a consultation and start saving!