Some of our bills can be eliminated as being “extras”, but utilities is just not one of these. If you are noticing an increase in your utility bills it is time to review what you may or may not be doing to cause the increase. Here are some helpful tips for ways to decrease your utility bills.
Water
Check to make sure there are no leaky faucets. You would be surprised at how much water loss can accumulate from even a slow drip…..over two gallons per hour!
When watering the garden, set a schedule to try to water in the early morning hours to help minimize evaporation (between 6-8am).
Take shorter showers. Did you know that an average shower uses approximately 6-10 gallons of water per minute? Think of how much water (and money) you could save if you shaved even a couple of minutes off your shower time.
Use your dishwasher and washer only when you have full loads. You can wash small loads of dishes at a time and set them to dry in the dishwasher.
Contact your utility company to see if they offer reduced rates at certain times of the day and wait until that time to do your dishes and laundry.
Recycle your water from fish tanks and use it to water your houseplants. Fish emulsion is a good and inexpensive fertilizer. It is high in nitrogen and phosphorus and your plants will love you for it! Just think, you can save on water AND fertilizer!
Gas
During the winter use your fireplace – if you have one – as it will help heat up the room at a much lower cost.
Lower the temperature on your gas water heater. It is not necessary to have your water heated up to 180 degrees. You will find that by lowering it, it won’t come on as often to keep the water that hot and that will help lower that gas bill.
Invest in a water heater timer if you have an electric water heater. By turning off the heat during the time when you don’t need it will save money on your electric bill.
Turn your thermostat down just three degrees. By doing so, you will save approximately 3% on your heating bills.
Weather-strip your doors and windows along with adding insulation to your attic. This helps keep the heat (as well as the cool) inside your home.
Close off the rooms that aren’t in use in your home. Now, your heater doesn’t have to work as hard to keep your home warm.
Close vents in the rooms that have more than one in them. This will force the warm air into the other rooms.
Electricity
When purchasing new appliances always try to get the ones that are energy efficient. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by spending just a little more to get the energy efficient models.
Get in the habit of turning off all the lights and appliances that are not being used. Some appliances actually use electricity while they are plugged in but not in use. Plug them into power strips that can be turned off when the appliances aren’t being used. You’ll be surprised at how quickly the energy savings will add up.
When not watching television make sure that you keep it off. Leaving the TV on for noise is the number one electricity waster in the world.
The dryer will use less energy if you dry loads of clothing one after another because the dryer will already be hot. Also, be sure to put your clothes away as soon as they are dry. Running dry clothes through the dryer to get rid of wrinkles is another huge electricity waster.
Use low-wattage light bulbs or energy efficient fluorescent lighting. Compact fluorescents typically last ten times longer and use 75% less electricity.
Call your utility company to find out if they have off-peak hours and when they are. Many companies charge less for your electricity at night and more during the day. By doing your laundry and dishes during off-peak hours you could easily save money off your utility bill.
Phone
Compare the prices of various long distance providers. A great place to look up information on lowering your long distance bill is www.lowermybillls.com . On this website you can compare long-distance companies in your area and also see any hidden fees they might have.
If you have a cellular phone that offers state-to-state long-distance, use this instead of calling on a land line. Always make sure that you can call nationwide, the minutes you have available each month, and what hours are free (evenings, weekends) before making calls.
Take advantage of the internet and email instead of calling your friends and family. You can also use instant messaging programs, but beware of how many you can make in a month.
ABOUT FAMILY INSURANCE
Phone # (405) 329-9780
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paul@familyinsu.com