According to recent data, energy bills rose nearly 16% from September 2021 to September 2022 alone.
Along with rising prices on everything from groceries to new and used vehicles, people are finding their pocketbooks strained by rising energy costs as well.
Finding ways to lower your energy bill can save a lot of money in the long run. With so many Americans feeling the financial pinch, we could all use some ways to save more money.
And although electricity and other energy sources are integral to our modern world, there are ways you can use and spend less on those energy sources.
Table of Contents
How to Save Money on Your Energy Bill
Many people have looked to alternative energy sources, like solar power, as a way to make energy use more affordable. But getting solar energy up and running can be costly unless you happen to have a community solar farm near you.
Whether or not solar is an option, I recommend checking out the following ways to save money on your energy bill in every area of your home.
Heating and Cooling
1. Adjust Your Thermostat
According to the Department of Energy, you can save as much as 10 percent on your heating and cooling bills by adjusting your thermostat down 7-10 degrees from its normal settings for at least eight hours per day.
Run with the lower temperatures while you are sleeping or at work to minimize any discomfort. For convenience, use a programmable thermostat to make the change.
2. Keep Your Furnace Properly Maintained
Changing your furnace filter and cleaning your ductwork regularly will keep your heating and cooling system free of dust and debris.
With your system running more efficiently, it won’t have to work as hard to keep your home warm or cool, saving money on your energy bill.
Be sure to have your heating, cooling, and ventilation ducts checked for leaks as well.
3. Look Into Ductless Mini Splits
If you’re considering a new furnace system, look into ductless mini splits, which control heating and cooling by zone and don’t require a duct system.
This means you can keep some zones at a much lower (or higher) temperature and not sacrifice comfort if the zones aren’t in use.
4. Check Seals on Windows and More
Check the seals on your doors, windows, and appliances. Be sure the seals are properly installed and doing their job of keeping unwanted elements out. If they’re not, have the seals or your doors and windows replaced. While replacing doors and windows is costly, you should notice the reduced energy usage almost immediately.
5. Properly Insulate and Seal Your Attic
Both heat and cool air are often lost through your attic, especially if you live in a poorly insulated, older home.
Make a thorough inspection of your attic (or have your energy company do so) to ensure it is properly insulated. You can use spray foam or caulk around any smaller holes or leaks.
Appliances and Lighting
6. Use Smart Power Strips
Some of the appliances and electronic devices in our homes never fully turn off. They are constantly using energy, just at a lower rate.
For example, most televisions wait on standby for a message from the remote control. Also, many people leave lights on when they’re not in the room and laptops plugged in.
Using a smart power strip or smart plug with a service such as OhmConnect will enable you to truly shut down devices that aren’t in use, saving you money.
Learn more about OhmConnect.
7. Install Dimmer Switches
Dimmer switches help you manage the brightness of your lights and are easy to install. You’ll save money by having your lights on a dimmer setting.
8. Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water
When washing clothes, try to avoid hot and warm water settings. Instead, use cool or cold water settings.
You’ll use a lot less hot water and energy. And you’ll help clothes to last longer as well, which can automatically help you save money on clothing.
9. Line Dry Your Clothes
Using an outdoor or indoor clothesline to dry your clothes will help you to save money as you use your clothes dryer less. And by hanging clothes outside to dry, you get the benefit of that fresh-air-dried scent.
10. Clean Your Appliances Regularly
Keeping your appliances clean can also save you money on your energy bills. Regularly vacuum out refrigerator coils, and clean your dryer vent and your air conditioning unit.
11. Put a Timer on Your Water Heater
Putting a timer on your water heater will help you to save money as your water heating won’t be running “hot” all of the time. It will allow the water to sit at a cooler temperature for a short while before you need it.
You can personalize the timer to heat up when hot water is needed; for instance, in the morning before work.
12. Adjust Your Fridge and Freezer Temps
By giving your fridge and freezer temps just a little nudge to the warmer side, you can save money on your energy bill as well. But not too much, as it could be unsafe.
According to the Food and Drug Administration, your refrigerator temperature should be at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Your freezer temperature should be at zero degrees Fahrenheit, with 10 degrees being the maximum acceptable temperature.
Your Water Bill
13. Use a Water-Saving Showerhead
A water-saving showerhead can reduce your water use in the shower by as much as 20 percent. The average showerhead uses 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM) of water, while low-flow showerheads use 2.0 GPM or less of water.
Multiply that by the number of showering people in your household, and you save a lot of water annually.
14. Take Shorter Showers
You can also lessen water use and energy use simply by taking shorter showers. Turn a 10-minute shower into a 7-minute shower. By doing so, you can save 6-7.5 gallons of water each day for each shower taken. That’s a water savings of over 2,700 gallons per year, not to mention the reduction in energy it takes to heat your water.
15. Use Water-Saving Cycle Modes
Many clothes washers, dishwashers, and other water-using appliances come with water-saving cycle modes.
For instance, washing machines now include modes that only use enough water to clean the clothes instead of filling the wash basin all of the way up.
They have auto-sensing rinse cycles as well. Use these cycles where available in order to use less water and save on heating costs.
16. Fix Leaky Faucets
Those leaky faucets might not seem like a big deal, but they can add up to big water waste. For example, one leaky faucet that drips just five times per minute means you’ve wasted over 173 gallons per year.
Use that number to consider how much water is wasted from leaky faucets in the 124 million households in the U.S. alone. Fix those leaky faucets so that you’re saving on your water bill and on the world’s water supply.
17. Become Aware of Water Use
Another way to potentially save significant money on your water usage is to reduce wasteful water usage. Are you letting the sink run when you brush your teeth? Or when you hand wash and rinse dishes?
Are you running the dishwasher when it’s not full? Work to be more conscious of habits that use more water than necessary, then change those habits.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are many steps you can take to lower your energy bill. Along with the ideas mentioned above, you can also switch to power companies with lower rates, such as Arbor, if you live in an area with a competitive energy market.
Combining several of the steps mentioned here will likely save you the most money on your energy bills. Use the tips shared in this article to stack your energy savings.
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