The average cost of living is steadily creeping up across the nation. As a result, many homeowners are looking for ways to save money on recurring bills. One of the best ways to reduce monthly expenses is to cut back on your energy usage wherever possible. If you’re not sure how to do that, here are six tips for bringing your utility bills down.
1. Use Alternative Forms of Energy
Nowadays, there are plenty of alternative sources of energy. They include hydroelectric, nuclear, wind, and solar energy. However, not all of these fuel types are affordable or readily available for homeowners. For example, you need to have a lot of water flowing through your property if you want to use a hydropower system. And nuclear reactors aren’t yet available for the average home use.
Two of the most popular alternative forms of energy for homes include solar panels and wind turbines. Wind power takes up more space than solar power, so the former isn’t as popular as the latter. Plus, leasing solar panels can remove large upfront costs and make solar power more affordable than wind power for most families. Adding solar panels to your home can reduce your carbon footprint, increase your energy efficiency, and reduce your utility bills.
2. Service Your HVAC System Regularly
Your heating and air conditioning system is one of the hardest-working systems in your home. It functions for hours on end with few breaks. Over time, this system can become inefficient — especially if it doesn’t receive regular maintenance and repairs as needed.
To ensure the efficiency of your system, schedule regular maintenance services, whether that is for a split system, heat pump system, or any other system you are using to heat or cool your home. Many homeowners choose to do this twice per year. They often schedule their appointments at the end of summer and again in the spring. If you’re concerned about skyrocketing utility costs, your technician may recommend that you replace an old furnace with a newer, more energy-efficient model.
3. Purchase Efficient Appliances
If you’re using your grandma’s old stove or you still have the refrigerator you bought 20 years ago, it’s probably time for a change. Older appliances were not made with efficiency in mind. Therefore, they tend to be energy-guzzlers that can make your utility bills much higher than they’d otherwise be.
When shopping for newer appliances, look for those labeled as energy-efficient. Energy Star certification means the product meets the government’s efficiency requirements. You can further reduce utility costs by purchasing appliances that aren’t too big for your family’s needs. For example, if you live by yourself, you most likely don’t need a stovetop with six burners.
4. Schedule an Energy Audit
It’s not always easy to tell why your utility bills are high or what you can do to save more money each month. Sometimes it’s a matter of figuring out sce off peak hours, or unplugging specific appliances that aren’t in frequent use. That’s why many homeowners choose to consult with professionals to help them stop wasting energy. A professional energy audit can be very revealing (sometimes even surprising). Your auditor might use thermography to assess whether your home is leaking air. Or they may conduct a visual tour of your home to check for obvious structural weaknesses that could lead to energy loss.
The cost of a home audit depends on the size of the home and its geographical location. Most audits take anywhere between one and six hours. It’s important to note that some energy companies offer discounted audits to customers. Reach out to your local utility company to find out if you qualify for a reduced-cost assessment.
5. Improve Your Insulation to Reduce Leakage
High utility bills often occur when a home has insufficient insulation. If you have an old home, you’re more likely to have air leakages due to old, degraded, or insufficient insulation. The good news is that you can fix this problem relatively easily by having more insulation installed.
The attic is one area that’s commonly under-insulated in many homes. If you have an unfinished attic, insulating it properly will prevent it from getting overly hot in the summer and overly cold in the winter. This will relieve some of the burden on your HVAC system and help you save on heating and cooling costs.
6. Replace Your Showerhead
You may be wondering what your showerhead has to do with your monthly utility bills. The answer depends on the state of your showerhead. If it’s old and inefficient, it could be increasing your water usage significantly. This is especially true if you have multiple people in your home who shower regularly. Older showerheads tend to create water waste by using too much water and turning it into mist.
Replacing older showerheads with more efficient models is a great way to cut back on water waste. Even though efficient showerheads reduce water flow, they don’t turn the water into a mist. Therefore, you’ll have more enjoyable and effective showers while saving money on your water usage at the same time.
Whether your home is old or new, there are probably things you can do to make it more efficient. From purchasing energy-efficient appliances to maintaining your HVAC system, there are many different steps you can take. If you’re on a budget, just do one or two projects per year to make your home energy-efficient. Over time, your interventions will help you save on your utility bills and become a more responsible citizen.
