How To Lower Your Utility Bill
Are you dreading the end of the month out of the dread of receiving your utility bill? If you are struggling financially, a huge utility bill can cause a lot of stress and worry. Although it can be easy to blame your electricity provider for your high utility bills, it is more likely that your usage is too high.
Here are some of the most common reasons your electricity bills might be so high, and some ways you can lower your utility bills for good.
Reasons why your utility bill might be high
- You’re using your heating/AC too much: do you have the heating on at all hours of the day? Alternatively, are you running your air conditioning throughout the day and night? Heating and cooling costs can add up to around 50% of your overall utility bill.
- Your home isn’t energy efficient: if you live in an old house, there is a strong chance that your home isn’t energy efficient. For example, your house may not have sufficient insulation, you may only have single-glazed windows and your home may be drafty.
- You have all of your appliances on standby: it may look switched off, but if you are leaving all of your appliances on standby, they will be using up energy even if you are not using them.
- You’re using the wrong light bulbs: If you’re still using old incandescent bulbs, you’re paying several times more than you need to.
Tips on lowering your utility bills
Now you know why your utility bills might be so high, here are some easy ways you can cut down on your utility bills so you no longer need to worry about them:
- Invest in a smart thermostat: as previously stated, heating and cooling is usually the largest expense on any utility bill. With a programmable thermostat, you can simply program the temperature according to time of day without the need for adjusting it manually. A smart thermostat will also be able to make changes to your home to make it more energy efficient.
- Make your home more energy efficient: this is a more expensive option, but could save you thousands of dollars in heating bills over the years. Make sure your house is fully insulated, invest in double or triple glazed windows and ensure your house isn’t drafty.
- Wash clothes in cold water: washing your clothes in warm water can use up a lot of electricity. If you are really trying to lower your electricity bill, adjust the temperature you wash your clothes in. Your clothes will still be clean when they come out of a cold wash, and you will be saving a lot of energy.
- Change your utility provider: one of the easiest ways to lower your utility bill every month is to check comparison websites. These websites will help you compare electricity rates between different electricity or natural gas companies (such as Gas South) and pick the best electricity rate for you. By checking a comparison website, you could save yourself hundreds of dollars a year.
- Turn the thermostat down: in the colder weather, it may be tempting to turn up the thermostat, but this can add a lot of money to your monthly bill. If you are cold, make sure you put some more layers on before you even consider turning the thermostat up. If you have your thermostat set at a high number regularly, turn it down. Even if you turn the thermostat down by a couple of degrees, it will help you save hundreds of dollars a year.
- Install a new boiler: you can save a lot of money by upgrading your boiler. This is a long-term investment, as it will be expensive to install, but it will save you thousands over the years.
ConclusionIf you are constantly worried about your utility bills, consider making these easy changes.