5 Great Energy Saving Tips
Opening up an electric bill during the height of heating and cooling seasons can be a budget-testing experience, especially if you have cut back on dining out, reduced your monthly cellphone usage, and more. An eye-popping electric bill can undermine your efforts in balancing your overall household budget. You should never have to suffer through a July heatwave without A/C or a mid-January frost without proper heating. Instead, adjust your thermostat a little and save plenty of money. Lowering your monthly bills doesn’t have to be complicated, and there are tons of great approaches to saving on utilities.
In this article, we will take a close look at five great energy-saving tips for your Nashville, TN home.
1. Take Steps to Reducing Electricity Use
Using less energy is a great method to lower your electric bill, and it can lower your utility costs. Electricity for electronics, lights, and different appliances takes up as much as 17% of a home’s energy usage. Below are some suggested improvements that you can make to reduce electricity usage.
- LED Lights: Produce the same brightness as incandescent bulbs but with a longer lifetime and less energy use. They are environmentally friendly.
- Solar Panels: Can drop the cost of electricity and provide free energy, they can also pay for themselves in 6-12 years.
- Maximize Energy Savings: Use timers, power strips, motion-detector switches, and WiFi-equipped products.
2. Lower Your Water Bill
How much water you use can have a big impact on your sewer and utility bills. Here are great ways to save on water and money in your home:
- Use Less Hot Water: Give your water heater and your budget a break. You can lower your water heater’s thermostat from 140 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. With a lower setting, the water for showers and dishwashers should be more than hot enough.
- Repair Leaks: Leaks should be repaired on toilets, dishwashers, and faucets.
- Add Aerators: Can be added to faucets to reduce the amount of water that is used to increase water pressure. Aerators attach to faucet heads and will add air pressure to the stream.
3. Save on Heating, Gas, and A/C
Heating and cooling will take the biggest toll on your utility bills, so reducing your gas, heating, and air conditioning usage will lower your bills. Here are some good ways to save on the costs of heating or cooling your home.
- Adjust the Thermostat: Lower the temperature in your home from 68 degrees in the winter and raise it to 78 degrees in the summer to maximize savings.
- Install a Programmable Thermostat: Set an efficient temperature when you are away or sleeping. Smart thermostats can be adjusted from your phone.
- Improve the Insulation in the Home: Install weather stripping for doors and windows, sealing leaks with caulk, and using blinds to deflect solar heat in the summer months.
4. Shop For the Best Deals
Your current providers for utilities might not be the only ones in your area, and a Google search that includes your zip code can present you with better options. It might take some work, but your research can lead you to more affordable plans.
5. Run Appliances at Night
Using your utilities during off-peak hours can save you more money. Off-peak hours are time frames during the day and night when general usage of electricity is lower due to fewer people being active. If you are up at dawn or climbing into bed at the witching hour, take advantage of your schedule to optimize your savings. Peak hours will vary and can fluctuate based on the time of year or depending on your location. Check with local providers to see what their off-peak hours or time-of-use rates look like.
Bottom Line
Lowering your utility costs doesn’t have to be a difficult task. From changing utility providers and changing out appliances, there are plenty of methods to cut back on the cost of your monthly utility bill so you can stay in the home of your dreams without feeling like you have to downsize to save more. Trust the real estate agents at Benchmark Realty to guide you in finding and settling down in the home of your dreams in the many beautiful historic neighborhoods that make up Nashville, TN, today.