5 Smart Ways to Slash Your Home Energy Bills

Everyone knows that feeling of getting their energy bill in the mail and seeing that it is higher – much higher – than usual. In the summertime and wintertime – when we are trying to beat the extreme temperatures and stay comfortable – our utility bills can sky rocket. This is usually due to the fact that we’re running our air conditioning and heating systems all day and night. Not only is this taking a hit on your wallet, but also the environment. Luckily, there are a number of ways to cut down and conserve. Here are 5 smart ways to slash your home energy bills.

1. Unplug all electronics that don’t get used or that are done charging. Ever hear of vampire power? Electricians call it standby power. When you see your energy bills you might have a few other names for it. Even when items are fully off they are still using power. This is especially the case with cell phones and computers that need to be charged. If your gadgets are fully charged, just unplug them. The same goes with any other electronic gadget that doesn’t get used.
2. Program your thermostat. There is no reason why you should want to leave your air conditioner blasting all day – not unless you want your home to feel like a frozen tundra. The remedy to this is to install a programmable thermostat. This way you can program the air conditioner to go on during only the hottest hours of the day. Some thermostats allow you to program different temperatures throughout the day. When it comes to air conditioning, all you need is to be comfortable.
3. Install electric fans or use the ones you already have. Those old fashioned electric overhead fans you have in your home are not just decorations – they can also save you a lot of money. Overhead fans are also up to 40% percent more efficient than traditional air conditioning systems and they are excellent at improving air circulation. Not only that, but in the wintertime – when you are blasting your heating system – overhead fans can also be turned on reverse to spread the warmth throughout the home.
4. Use energy efficient lightbulbs. Did you know that those incandescent lightbulbs inside your home make up a huge percentage of your home’s energy usage? By switching to LED or CFL lightbulbs you could save almost 70% in energy when it comes to lighting your home. Not only that, but energy efficient lightbulbs don’t need to be replaced as often as incandescent bulbs.
5. Create a culture of energy savings. Sometimes all it takes is a little discipline to cut the costs of your home energy bills. For instance, make sure that people turn off lights when they leave a room, don’t take long showers and close the refrigerator door when it doesn’t need to be open. Make signs, leave people reminders – do whatever you can to drill it into people’s heads that it is important to save. This is important not only for the sake of the family finances, but also for the environment. Who knows if future generations will get to enjoy the same world we get to enjoy.