Simple Tips to Save Money on Your Electric Bill This Summer

With the increasing costs of electricity, it becomes more important to find ways to start saving money and reduce your carbon footprint.  Thankfully, there are several ways that you can increase the energy efficiency of your home and start shaving down those electric bills. 

One of the most important considerations is to turn off lights when you leave the room.  There’s simply no need to have a light on if there is no one in the room to use it.  It’s a myth that turning the lights off and on takes more electricity than just leaving them on.  That’s like saying leaving the taps running costs less than turning them off and on!  (This urban myth was invented by the electric companies – surprise surprise!) 

Another way to save money on your electric bill is to use a clothesline in the summertime.  Your dryer is one of the single largest power drains in your home, and you’ll save a considerable amount of money if you don’t use it during warmer months.  Although this is not the most modern ways to dry your favorite plaid skirt, you’ll be grateful when you get a large reduction in your bill.  Your clothes will smell much better, too!

You should also adjust your thermostat to save money.  Adjusting it up by about two degrees in the summer and down by two degrees in the winter will reduce your power consumption by a considerable amount.

Finally, you should visit a hardware store and invest in energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, rather than standard incandescent lights.  These will help you save money by cutting down on the amount of power used for general lighting and, while they’re more expensive, they last a very long time and use far less power.