Lighten the Load: 4 Ways to Save Money on Your Monthly Utility Bills

Utility bills can be a pain to pay every month. Energy bills are typically highest during the summer and winter months. Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to reduce your energy bills.

Change the Way You Wash and Dry Clothes

Your washing machine and dryer may be causing your utility bills to increase. You can save energy by washing your clothes in cold water. Cold water uses less energy. You can also use wool dryer balls in your dryer. They can decrease your dryer time. You may also be able to skip the fabric softener if you use wool balls.

Lower the Temperature of Your Water Heater

The default temperature setting on most of today’s water heaters is 140 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the temperature does not need to be that high. You can reduce your energy bill by lowering the temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If have an instant water heater, then you can reduce the temperature to 115 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only does lowering the hot water temperature help you save energy, but it can also prevent scalding.

Unplug Your Appliances

Many people replace all of the appliances in their home with Energy Star appliances. While this can help you save money, replacing all of the appliances in your home can be expensive. You can save money without replacing your appliances if you unplug them when you are not using them.

An appliance still uses energy when it is not turned off if it is still plugged in. You can also plug your appliances into a power strip. You can unplug the power strip when you are not using the appliances.

Switch to LED Lighting

Led is short for light-emitting diodes. Led lighting has been around since the 1960s, but it has become even more popular over the past 10 years. People prefer LED lighting because it uses 75 percent less energy than alternative types of lighting. Led lighting can also last for over 25,000 hours. Furthermore, you can reduce your carbon footprint with LED lighting.

Saving money on your utilities does not have to be a difficult task. You can switch to LED lighting, wash your clothes in cold water and use wool dryer balls. You can also lower your hot water heater temperature. Additionally, you can unplug your appliances when they are not in use or plug them into a power strip.