Utility bills are a headache. We all have to suffer every end of the month. They can be substantially high and greatly erode your budget planning for other family necessities.
The thing is, the heaviest utility spenders are necessary for your family and they include HVAC systems, washing machine, lighting, and gas, among others. The best you can do is to device ways to reduce these costs while still using the services. Here are 5 tips on how you can crush your utility bills.
Dishwashers and washing machines
To get the best out of your dishwasher and at the lowest cost possible, make sure you pack it up fully. That way, you wash your dishes in one round and for a short duration of usage.
While at it, hand wash large pots and pans to create more space for dishes and let your dishes drip dry by air instead of the heat dry option. This saves you a few dollars on water and energy costs. As for the washing machine, try using a cold wash and save over 90% of the energy that goes to heating the water.
Insulation
To lower your heating and cooling costs, invest in insulation in parts of the house that matter. These parts include the attic, which sucks out the heat from your house when the roof cools and heats up the house during summer.
Good insulation by fiberglass or any other appropriate material will give you a weather barrier against both extremes. Insulate outlets and light switches on outside walls to seal air leaks as well. To block external air drafts from exerting on the work rate of your air conditioning unit, try weather-stripping your doors to keep in heated air.
Buy energy-efficient appliances and install a thermostat
Heater kits, thermistors, and thermostats from PTAC Inc. can help to reduce overall heating costs significantly. Installing a programmable thermostat and using it correctly can reduce your energy consumption by as much as 10%. The beauty of it is that good quality thermostats are relatively cheap at below $100.
You could also replace the old appliances that might not be energy efficient with modern energy star rated ones. Practically every appliance, including washers, refrigerators, water heaters, and furnaces have undergone technology upgrades for energy efficiency. The replacement cost might be high but will prove worthwhile in the long haul.
Low flow showerheads
Check out the flow rate of your showerhead per minute of water discharge. Most old models gush out on average 5 gallons of water per minute and can be wasteful. Modern sets discharge at most 1.5 gallons with the same spray force and can save you plenty in water costs. They are priced competitively and are easy to install.
Use ovens sparingly
Avoid unnecessary baking in the oven because these are heavy consumers of energy. Use your oven for serious baking when it makes sense and avoid throwing in every small item that could as well cook in the toaster oven.
Microwaves are another excellent option for heating food and are even faster. These two appliances have smaller areas they need to heat and are therefore energy efficient for small cooking.
Assess your house appliances that are big spenders and figure out ways to use them more efficiently. In most cases, these include appliances that use both power and water, especially washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters.
If these appliances are yesteryear’s, consider replacing them with energy star rated newer models that are water and energy-efficient. In other areas, simply instill usage discipline to bring your utility costs down.