I have heard that unplugging lamps, appliances and the such that are not in use could lower the montly bills. Is this true?
It is true that unplugging appliances can save you some money…because some appliances use energy even when they are switched off. However, the biggest power user in your home needs to be plugged in all the time…your refigerator. To minimize power use, try reducing the freezer and refigeration settings to the lowest practical ones that will still keep your items cold. If it has an ice maker, refrain from using it and buy bagged ice or use ice cube trays instead. In the rest of your home, two big power consumers are your heating/cooling system and oddly enough, your computer. Set your thermostats to the lowest/highest setting that will still provide you comfort, and check around doors and windows for air leaks; this is where a lot of your heating/cooling $ goes…out the window or door. Don't leave your computer on all day if you aren't using it. Even in standby mode it is still consuming more energy than if it was switched off. Also, keep hot water use to a minimum; hot water heaters also are significant energy consumers. If you go to the government's dept. of energy site they have a lot of handy hints for saving money on utility bills. Hope this info helps.
What can a homeowner do to cut monthly electric bills?
12 comments for “What can a homeowner do to cut monthly electric bills?”
if you have older appiances the cost of newer cost efficient ones will pay for the upgrade over time. switch to the new low power twisty bulbs they give 100 watt of light but use only 20 watt power. check that the seal on fridge is good a loose seal means compressor will run more trying to keep cold.
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If it's not in use, unplugging it won't make any difference.
turn off lights when not in use, use A/C less (turn up thermostat), keep shades drawn (to keep out light/heat from the sun), add more insluation in your attic…
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make sure you turn your thermostat down/up when you are not home or going to sleep. get one of the programmable ones that does it for you (if it is expensive, just do it manually..mine came preinstalled). and turn your lights off when you leave. it made a big difference in my elec. bill.
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yes knock off things if not needed don't leave telly etc on standby use new light bulbs cost effective ones
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You can discard all appliances and live like a frontier woman. Replace discarded items with lanterns, ice-box, and a fireside.
And while you're at it, you may as well build an outhouse.
That will show these large greedy coorporations that we can do without their expensive sh@t!!!!!!.
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True, but it is not going to save you big bucks. The trick is … to use less of the big items (using 1000 Watts or more).
Turn down the setting in your fridge and freezer. Don't open the door to just look at the inside (while trying to think what to eat).
Cut your hair short; avoid using the blow dryer to dry your hair.
Turn up the air conditioning; keep the house pleasant, not like a mausoleum.
When ironing, do all your clothes at once; don't iron one shirt and turn off.
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Me!
It is true that unplugging appliances can save you some money…because some appliances use energy even when they are switched off. However, the biggest power user in your home needs to be plugged in all the time…your refigerator. To minimize power use, try reducing the freezer and refigeration settings to the lowest practical ones that will still keep your items cold. If it has an ice maker, refrain from using it and buy bagged ice or use ice cube trays instead. In the rest of your home, two big power consumers are your heating/cooling system and oddly enough, your computer. Set your thermostats to the lowest/highest setting that will still provide you comfort, and check around doors and windows for air leaks; this is where a lot of your heating/cooling $ goes…out the window or door. Don't leave your computer on all day if you aren't using it. Even in standby mode it is still consuming more energy than if it was switched off. Also, keep hot water use to a minimum; hot water heaters also are significant energy consumers. If you go to the government's dept. of energy site they have a lot of handy hints for saving money on utility bills. Hope this info helps.
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as stated, the new light bulbs are great !
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Only turn on the water heater to shower, don't run your AC as much. Use fans instead. Trun off lights when not needed. Don't yuse the dishwasher.
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Sell your teenagers! (kidding). I don't know that unplugging unused items will lower your bills, but it could protect them from power surges.
Best thing i have to offer is to watch what's on and make sure things get turned off. It's amazing how many lights/appliances/ electronics are always "on" when my kids are home.
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Yes that is true.Unplug anything you are not using. You can turn down the heat on your hot water tank so it's not running to maintain a high water temp. Turn your refrigerator down a notch. Turn your computer off at night and un plug it. Caulk around your windows. Put a brick in your toilet you use less water that way. Keep your heat down to 65 and dress for the weather. If you have to use central air keep it @ 75. Use a fan most of the time instead of ac.
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