How to save on electricity bills?

A few small behavioral changes and other adjustments can help us save electricity as well as electricity bills. By saving electricity we are not only saving money but also saving our nation’s demand for resources and saving the environment. Below are the 10 simple techniques that can help you save on electricity bills.

How is the electricity bill calculated?

Consider that you have a clothes washer at home and you run it for 2 hours a day and 20 days a month. The normal power consumption of a clothes washer is 300 Watts. So let us calculate the power consumption.

Number of units consumed per month = 300W x 2 x 20 /1000 = 12 Units(kWh)

Suppose the cost per unit is $0.12 (kWh), then the energy cost per month is $1.44.

The following are the ways to save energy and save on electricity bills at home:

1. Switch off when not necessary.

This is the first and foremost step to saving energy. Switch off the lights and other appliances whenever not in use. Whenever you leave your room and no one is there inside, switch off the lights, ceiling fans, and all other appliances that are not in use. If you have an air-conditioning unit and if you know you won’t be returning to the room sooner, say, 30 minutes or an hour, consider switching off the AC and keep the room closed. Likewise, Turn off the TV when you are not watching. Make sure all the appliances are switched off and unplugged when not in use.

2. Make use of nature.

• Make optimum use of the daylight. Open your window shades or use transparent ones that can allow a sufficient amount of light. This can help you save a lot of energy spent on lighting during the day.
• If you live in the countryside or any less polluted environment, consider opening the windows and letting fresh air come in if you have a comfortable temperature outside.
• Consider air-drying clothes and dishes. This can help you save energy spent on dryers.

3. Switch to LED.

Switching from incandescent bulbs to LED lamps is the easiest way to save a lot of energy except that you need to spend more in the beginning. LED lamps last longer than incandescent bulbs and consume 90% lesser power than conventional incandescent. This can help you save a lot of money in the long run. LED lamps are much more efficient than compact fluorescent lights as well. Another interesting energy-saving fact connected to LED lamps is that they produce less heat than the others. This can help you save the air conditioning costs.

4. Switch to smart lighting/ Sensor controlled lights.

A new revolution of lights. Smart lighting solutions are changing the ways of lighting control and energy conservation. These are LED lamps capable of communicating and being controlled from your smartphones tablets etc. Alternatively, you can use motion sensor-controlled lamps for lighting outdoors, in living rooms, and in bathrooms. This can help you turn the lamps off even if you have forgotten to do.

5. Use energy-efficient appliances.

Home appliances contribute 35% of the monthly electricity bill. Therefore buying and using energy-efficient refrigerators, air conditioners, water heaters, washing machines, dryers, and other electrical items can help you save on electricity bills. Energy-efficient home appliances are designed to efficiently use the power fed to them. Look for Energy Star labels whenever you buy a home appliance. Products with an energy star can help you save energy, and money and protect the environment as well.

6. Be smart in the kitchen.

• Keep the doors of the microwave oven closed while in operation.
• Use glass or ceramic dishes instead of metal ones. Glass or ceramic dishes can retain heat for a longer time than metal dishes.
• Defrost the frozen food before you put it into the oven.
• Consider turning off the oven a few minutes early and keeping the door closed. The heat will continue to cook the food.
• Do not put hot food directly into the fridge.
• Do not keep the door of your refrigerator open for a longer time.

7. Watch your clothes washer and dishwasher.

Clothes washing machines and dishwashers are designed to work efficiently at their full load. Whenever you use any of these, make sure that you are using them at full load. Wait-accumulate-operate.

8. Be smart and unplug.

Unplug the electronic devices whenever not in use. Studies have revealed that around 12% of the power consumed at home in a month is by plugged-in electronic devices that are not in use. It includes the power lost at your battery charges, plugged-in laptops, computers, and televisions that are not in use. Even if your power your television using the remote control, the electronic circuits inside are still consuming power. Hence never leave electronic devices plugged in while not in use.

9. Save on heating and cooling

Water Heaters

Water heating has a major contribution to your energy consumption. You can save on the electricity bill by avoiding overheating and properly insulating the inlet and outlet pipes. Turn down the thermostat on your heater to the required level to avoid overheating. Consider using solar water heaters at home.

Air conditioners

Keep the windows and doors of your room properly shut in order to avoid heat loss. Properly heat-insulate your home and make sure that there is no leakage of air through the openings in the wall, floor, and ceiling from plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring. Regularly clean the filters of your air conditioners for efficient cooling. Operating the ceiling fan increases air movement and cools the room faster. Setting the room temperature to temperatures higher than 72 deg. Fahrenheit can also help. Saving electricity used for air conditioning can help you save on electricity bills a lot.

Read more: Calculate the power consumption of AC & Electricity usage

Electric Iron

• Do not iron your clothes when it is wet.
• Select the appropriate fabric type before ironing.

10. Finally, consider investing in renewable energy.

Finally, if you have enough space on your rooftop, sunlight, and money to invest, consider setting up a roof-top solar power unit. Once installed, the solar panels can last for 2 decades or even more. This can help you meet your electric energy needs, and help you save on electricity bills.

The above are the top 10 tricks to save electricity. If you have any others tricks that you adopt in your home, please share them with all other readers in the comment section below.