The recent stay at home orders that have been sweeping our nation, have come with a new norm for most people. Being in the house more has many of us wondering how to reduce our energy bill during this time of quarantine. Between homeschooling (or distance learning), zoom conference calls, and bingeing those Netflix shows you wanted to catch up on, reducing energy consumption has likely been at the top of your mind. And outside of the normal tips such as lowering your thermostat, it can be a little overwhelming trying to get your energy bill to something you can financially afford. Especially when you need to see a significant change in a short amount of time.
Finding tips to reduce your energy bill during quarantine can result in even more frustration when those tips aren’t significantly useful. So it is our aim to provide you with tips in this post that will help you see a decrease in your energy bill. Starting with the major appliances in most of our homes.
Tip 1: Being Mindful Of The Appliances In Our Home Can Help Reduce Energy
Most of our major appliances are in the kitchen, where our families gather and share, so it makes sense that kitchens are the hub of the home. Cooking is a large part of family life and can happen frequently during the day. But did you know that using smaller appliances such as your microwave, toaster oven, air fryer or even crock pot can help lower your energy consumption? The stove, electric or gas, is one of the larger energy sources in the home. Taking advantage of those smaller appliances will not only help you reduce your energy use but also time spent cooking (depending on the meal). Additionally, if you are a grill master (or even if you’re not, there’s always YouTube University) fire it up as often as you can!
Another way to help reduce the use of major appliances is by not running them unless it is absolutely necessary. For example, try to reduce the amount of times you run your dishwasher or washing machine. By doing this simple step, you have the potential to see a significant difference in your energy consumption. As a general rule of thumb when using the washing machine, try to only wash when you have accumulated a full load of laundry. Hand washing your dishes (or even laundry) when possible and hanging your clothes to dry will also have an impact. This will not only reduce your energy consumption, but it’s also an amazing way to reduce your energy waste and help the environment. Simply running these appliances at night or in the early morning will also assist in decreasing your energy bill.
Another helpful tip is taking the time to unplug those appliances that aren’t being used. Ensuring we unplug things like toasters, hair dryers, video games, and especially our computers can help us see a decrease of 10% or more in our energy costs, according to the Department Of Energy.
Tip 2: Controlling Your Heating And Air Usage
We’ve all heard that adjusting your heat and air conditioning are ways to reduce your energy bill, but at what point does that become too uncomfortable to bear? Research has shown that keeping your heat around 68 degrees and your air at 78 degrees seems to be an average comfortable spot that’s not too hot or too cold while still helping reduce overall usage.
However lowering your thermostat isn’t the only option, opening curtains and windows during the day will bring in more light as well as help cool down your home, weather permitting. Keeping up on changing the air filters on a monthly basis can help too as it ensures your AC isn’t in overdrive to cool your house. It’s also a good idea to remove any obstacles that may be blocking vents and closing vents to any rooms that aren’t in use frequently. Lastly, caulking or weather stripping any areas known for drafts or air leaks is also a fairly cheap and a beneficial way to control your energy cost associated with heating and air.
Tip 3: Solar Can Help Reduce Your Energy Bill
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the many benefits of going solar for homeowners. Outside of giving you more control over your energy usage and decreasing the amount of waste your home produces, solar is yet another great way to reduce your energy bill.
While solar may seem like too big of an investment for some people, there are actually programs that allow the average person to obtain solar energy with no money down. On average, solar customers see a $50-$100 dollar decrease in their energy bill. But leaving out the financial savings, solar allots you so many more benefits.
Not a fan of lowering your thermostat? Then don’t. You are producing your own energy with solar, which means you can use as much or as little of it as you’d like. Not into the idea of hand washing your clothes to save a few bucks, us either. Solar allows you to run your home how you want without an overwhelming energy bill at the end of the month.
Worried about the initial investment or overall cost of solar? No need to be. Most of our plans offer no out-of-pocket cost for homeowners while offering monthly payment options as low as $65/month. If you’re worried about still receiving a bill with your energy providing, don’t be. With solar you bank energy with your provider, which means in most cases THEY end up paying YOU at the end of the year, not the other way around. During the year the service fees they charge are usually less than $15 per month. In some cases they can go as low as $5 a month.
What that means is, if you are paying more than $100 per month for your energy bill, solar may be the way to go for you. Not only can you save and produce your own energy but you are helping the environment and creating a future of lifetime savings for your children.
The above mentioned tips can help you knock a few bucks off of your energy bill on the monthly basis but if you are looking to see a significant change give us a call at 442-242-7374.
If you decide solar is right for you, have a look at our tips for any homeowner looking to get solar.
