Summer is coming and you're getting ready for those astounding power bills. On the other hand, maybe in your part of the world, winter is coming and you're getting ready for those amazing heating bills. Here are a five easy ways to a lower electric bill.
1. Replace the incandescent bulbs in your light fixtures with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. This may seem like a small step, but it can save you big bucks, especially over the long haul. An ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) outlasts an incandescent bulb by about 10 lifetimes and consumes 75 percent less energy. It will pay for itself in about 6 months and you will save about $30 over its lifetime.
2. The biggest consumers of power in your house are you heating and cooling systems. To tame these energy hogs, the first step to a lower electric bill is to install a programmable thermostat. The programmable thermostat will allow you to only heat or cool your home when it is occupied. You can use less energy at night, when everyone is tucked in for bed, and wake up in the morning to a perfectly cooled or heated house. The programmable thermostat is an all-around winner.
3. Does your envelope have a good, tight seal? You are probably wondering what I am talking about. The envelope of your house is the exterior seal. If your envelope is leaking, you can do a few simple things to seal it.
The first thing is to make sure your attic is properly insulated. If it is not, one weekend, some insulation, a long sleeved shirt and a good pair of gloves will solve the problem fairly quickly. A properly insulated house can give you a lower electric bill of up to thirty percent.
Next, check the entries to your space. The entries are your doors and windows. Make sure they are properly sealed by taking a lit candle and checking for airflow around the closed window or door. If air is flowing in, money is flowing out. A little caulk can go a long way toward keeping your money where it belongs.
4. Have you ever heard of energy vampires? All of the appliances and electronic devices we are used to keeping plugged in all the time are drawing small amounts of energy all the time. If a dim light is on or the time is displayed, you are paying for that wasted energy. This extra electricity costs consumers more than $5.8 billion every year.
5. Think about adding renewable energy sources to your power profile.
The wind has been used since the dawn of time to move boats and grind grain. Today's wind turbines are sleek, quiet and reliable. You can install a whole farm of windmills or just one small one on your boat to provide the power you need.
The sun is free and available everywhere. Even places that seem to have very little sun have enough to benefit from solar power solutions. Solar technology is constantly evolving. Solar shingles and solar film for windows will soon replace big, expensive solar panels.
Five Easy Ways to a Lower Electric Bill