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9 Ways to Lower Monthly Utility Bills

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Lower Money on Utility Bill

Ways to Lower your Monthly Utility Bills!

If your interested in the many different ways to lower your monthly utility bills, there are plenty of affordable, efficient and easy things you can do to reduce your water and energy costs as much as 50%. Very simple do it yourself changes or renovations that require very minimal investment of time or money. By learning how to lower your utility and or electric bill you can easily save more than $1,000.00 a year.

Thermostat Programming

First of all, the Department of Energy says that you can save up to 10% on your utility costs by installing a programmable thermostat. Which is a hi-tech thermostat that generally costs between 50 and 150 dollars. This initial investment will greatly reduce your long term energy costs by allowing you to determine how cool or warm your home is through out the entire year. Also if you don’t have pets and aren’t home during the day then you can turn off your air conditioner during the summer months and your heater swell during the winter. Opening those windows and allowing that cool summer breeze to come into your home does a lot more than you think. With a programmable thermostat, you can even preset it so your A/C or heating will turn off or on shortly before your supposed to arrive home, maximizing your comfort levels without the expensive electric bill.

Energy Star Appliances

If its about that time to replace your homes appliances, then we strongly recommend purchasing newer ones that are energy star rated. These energy star appliances like refrigerators, furnaces, washing machines, stoves, water heaters and so on use far less energy than non rated alternatives. So large appliances might cost slightly more upfront, but when you compare them to the long term savings from the lower utility bills, there’s a huge benefit in owning an energy star appliance.

Wash With Cold Water

Its not surprising that heating water requires more energy, but did you know that 90% of the energy your washing machine is using goes to heat the water. Considering the EPA’s assessment that the average family does over 400 loads of laundry a year then switching to cold water would have a huge savings result on your monthly electric bill. Also you should switch to a front load washer, which uses 30-50% less water than the typical top load washer. Last but not least when it comes to your dishes and the amount of time your trying to save by washing them or not. Buying paper plates is a huge save on your utility bill but then you have to factor what you are now spending money on which of course would be the plates. Plumbers throughout Hampton Roads handle a large amount of dishwashing repair jobs.

Insulate Your Water Heater

Insulating your water heater is another way to increase your water based energy savings as well as lower your electric bill. If you insulate it with a specialized blanket or utilizing a hot water jacket you can prevent heat loss by 25% to 50% and this is another very small investment that can save and earn your money back indefinitely while taken money off your electric bill.

Weather Stripping

To better protect your home from the elements and shield your rooms from chilly drafts, seal the openings of your doors and windows with weather stripping. It’s cheap, easy to install and keeps the cost of heating your home down by keeping warm air in and cold air out, or vice versa depending on the season. Even if home improvement isn’t your profession, weather stripping is a simple, DIY project for anyone who wants to lower their utility bills.

Low-Flow Toilets and Showers

Did you know that conventional toilets use between 4 and 8 gallons of water per flush? And that traditional showerheads output 4 to 5 gallons of water per minute? In a world where some people don’t even have access to proper sanitation and running water, these statistics are borderline ridiculous, not to mention wasteful.To save money on water in your monthly utility bills, consider a switch to low-flow toilets and shower heads. Low-flow toilets use approximately 1.6 gallons of water per flush and low-flow shower heads pump out 1-2 gallons per minute, while maintaining high pressure. Toilets cost about $200, on average, and shower heads can cost $20 to $180, but the environmental and economic savings make the investment worth it. You can bet that homebuyers and tenants will notice the value of water-conserving additions.

Attic Insulation

It is common knowledge that Heat rises, it’s science and there’s nothing that we can do to change that fact. However, this isn’t a big problem unless your attic doesn’t have the proper insulation and all your heat escapes through there , out the roof and then off into space. Another often missed tip that really pays off when you factor in the fact that you can save up to 20% on your electric bill if you insulate your home properly, especially in the often problematic attic area. For this attic insulation, your options include cellulose, cotton, wool and of course fiberglass. Cellulose and cotton are made from mostly recycled materials and are treated with fire resistant material and also use fewer chemicals than the alternatives. Fiberglass has some recycled materials but generally cost a little more than the aforementioned cellulose and cotton. Regardless of which option you decide to choose, they are simple to install- just check with one of the dozens of DIY guides and tutorials available online and you will save money on your monthly electric bill.

Other Energy Companies and Providers

There’s a few states that have deregulated energy markets meaning gas and electricity. This means that you have more and more options when it comes to choosing you energy provider. Instead of signing up with the largest and most popular utility company in your area it would be a good idea to do a little bit of research on all the different companies. This can potentially reduce your monthly energy bill up to an additional 15% so don’t hinge your energy bill on the major providers who charge more and use their resources with volatile prices. Shopping around pays off especially when you find and then go with the more cost effective provider. Some companies even go as far as to utilize renewable energy sources instead of the earths coal or oil. Both of these two greatly contribute to the pollution problem with increased CO2 emissions, meaning that there’s a clean energy provider which lowers our carbon footprint as a race, increasing all of our health in the process.

Save Money on Utilities

Cutting back on inefficient energy usage isn’t difficult, and it doesn’t even have to cost much in most cases. Whether you make a few tiny lifestyle changes, install energy-conserving appliances, cut back on heating and cooling altogether, or shop around for different energy companies, following the steps listed above can definitely help you lower your utility or electric bills and reduce your household’s carbon footprint. Give a few of these strategies a chance and we would be shocked if you didn’t save a bundle in the next few months.Conventional wisdom will tell you that everything gets more expensive over time and there’s absolutely nothing that you can do about it. Well lucky for us that’s not always the case, if you feel like your paycheck has evaporated after you’ve paid all your bills there are plenty of things you can do to change that and in turn keep more cash in your pocket. For most of us, following a few simple tips that may have slipped out mind can save a lot of money every month without sacrificing our lifestyle to do it. If you happen to be looking for an HVAC technician, you’ve come to the right place!

The post 9 Ways to Lower Monthly Utility Bills appeared first on A-1 American Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning.


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