I find it interesting that when you start saving in one area, it makes you want to save in other areas, too! My friend Susan does a wonderful job in keeping her electric and heating bills down each month. Admittedly, this is an area I know I can do better in, so I recently asked her to share with me (and all of you!) how she does it.
- Close unnecessary vents. Go ahead and close the vents to rooms that you only use occasionally such as the laundry room or spare bedroom.
- Close all the doors in your house. After you've closed off those vents (see #1), it's important to close the doors in your house to prevent cold air from coming into your main living space. Make a habit of closing those bedroom and bathroom doors behind you! This will keep the heat where it belongs.
- Change air filters regularly. Keeping your furnace and return vent air filters changed will ensure your heating system works more efficiently. Ultimately, it will mean you pay less.
- Weatherstrip around windows and doors. Over time, weatherstripping can deteriorate, so make sure to replace it as needed to seal in the heat.
- Close your blinds. When it's cold outside, keep your blinds closed. This will prevent your warm air from escaping out the windows. Conversely, when it's sunny, you may wish to open the blinds to let in some natural heat.
- Keep those lights off! Don't turn on the lights unless they are needed. Susan tells me she only keeps the lights on in the room she is currently in.
- Unplug all unnecessary appliances. Even in the"off" position, most appliances are using electricity. She keeps the TV, fridge, alarm clock, and microwave plugged in. Everything else remains unplugged until it's needed.
Personally, I am going to challenge myself to see how much I can save by making these minor changes. In just looking at my kitchen, I noticed I really didn't need to keep the toaster, coffeemaker, and blender plugged in. I wonder how much all these little things will add up to…I'll have to let you know when I receive my bill next month.
If you have any other ideas for saving on your utility bill, please feel free to share them in a comment!
Photo credit Aaron Beall
