Individuals are always looking for ways to save money, whether it means fishing for a coupon online before shopping or taking part in a big sale at your local supermarket. Have you thought about the ways you can save money right in your own home? Families have a say in how much their bills cost each month. Here are five ways you can lower your gas and electric bills while simultaneously being energy-efficient and eco-friendly in the process.
1. Make Sure Your House Doesn’t Contain Any Leaks
When’s the last time you truly inspected your home for leaks? Leaky ducts can increase heating and cooling costs. Doors, windows, plumbing, and electrical outlets can be the sources of cold air leaking into your home, which can cause your gas bill to skyrocket. Utilize spray foam to contain leaks, and be sure your home’s electrical panels are properly insulated.
Natural gas is the second most heavily consumed energy source in the United States. By taking initiative and lowering your gas bill, your home will be using less energy to function. This is an eco-friendly way to go about saving energy and lowering your bills at the same time.
2. Utilize Other Heat Sources Instead of Turning Up the Thermostat
If you’re used to reaching for the thermostat when you feel chilly, think again. There are other ways to maintain a comfortable body temperature without hiking up the temperate in your home as well as your electric bill.
When you or a family member feels chilly, put on some warmer clothes, socks, and utilize blankets. Don’t freeze yourselves, but keep your home’s temperature at a reasonable number and adjust outside of that. Space heaters are another great appliance to keep a room warm. Perhaps you work out of a home office that gets pretty chilly. Instead of heating the whole house, utilize a space heater to keep the area in which you’re sitting all day comfortable for you.
3. Update Lighting Fixtures, Electrical Equipment, and Appliances in Your Home
Another way to lower your monthly electric bills is by updating the lighting features and appliances in your home. All homes are built in different ways. Some have large living rooms with several light fixtures, some have small kitchens with no lighting, and some have medium-sized bathrooms, which are the size of approximately 50.27% of all bathrooms, that have minimal lighting. Consider which rooms in your homes are utilized the most and whether you can replace the light bulbs in lighting fixtures with more energy-efficient ones.
Have you ever considered purchasing timers or motion detectors for your light fixtures? Instead of keeping the porch light on all night, a motion detector would be useful for anyone that comes home late or leaves early in the morning. Timers are also useful for lights decorating the outside of your home as well as for lights inside the house that may be difficult to turn on and off due to the placement of an outlet or power strip. Timers are especially helpful for busy families.
Updating appliances in your home with new ones can also lower your electric bills. Appliances with low energy efficiency can make up between 10 and 20% of a family’s electric bill, and many older appliances fall into this category. Consider purchasing new appliances that use minimal energy. Being more energy efficient will help your home be more eco-friendly, too.
4. Consider Installing Solar Panels
The installation of solar panels has proven to help people save money on their electric bills — even up to 50%. Essentially, solar panels allow energy from the sun to heat your home and power your electricity. This natural and more eco-friendly alternative will bring down your bills and allow your family to leave a positive footprint on the earth.
Since the beginning of 2014, the average cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels has dropped by nearly 50%. This means that you should consider trusting an installation company to properly install solar panels onto your house’s roof for a fraction of what they used to cost. With more and more people utilizing solar panels, you can join in on this energy-saving, bill-lowering initiative.
5. Perform Energy-Saving Daily Tasks
Aside from larger projects or purchases that will lower bills and make your home more energy-efficient, consider daily tasks you and other family members in your home can do that will lower your bills as well. These include:
- Turning the lights off when leaving a room
- Turning the thermostat down when leaving the house
- Utilizing an energy-efficient dishwasher instead of handwashing dishes
- Taking shorter showers
- Turning the water off when brushing one’s teeth
- Repairing plumbing-related leaks as soon as possible
By being cautious and minimizing the energy usage in your home, you will be taking part in creating an eco-friendly household as well as saving money on your family’s monthly bills.
Take control of your family’s monthly gas and electric bills by considering these tips, tricks, ideas, and purchases. Get your family involved in making your home more energy-efficient and eco-friendly today.
For more tips check out my other guide, “10 Simple Ways to Save Money and Energy at Home.”
Thank you for sharing these tips. Electricity bills have skyrocketed during the pandemic. I have started living sustainably to outset all these increases in costs.