5 No-Cost Ways To Cut Your Energy Bills Down To Size

Who likes paying high energy bills, especially when you think of all the other ways you could spend the money you’re sending the gas and electric companies. You could shave a significant amount off your bills if you invested in a high-efficiency furnace or replaced your drafty windows. Those are good ideas, but you don’t necessarily have to spend money to save money. Here are some no-cost ways to cut your energy bills down to size.

1. Unplug your electronic devices when they’re not being used. To make this simpler, plug the components of your home entertainment system and your home office into one or more power strips or surge protectors that can be turned off at one switch. And don’t forget, never leave a charger plugged into the wall. The Department of Energy reports that Americans spend $10 billion annually on vampire power.
2. Turn off the lights when you leave a room. When you’re replacing your bulbs, make sure they have the Energy Star logo.
3. Change your thermostat settings for your heating and cooling system. Set the temperature at 68 degrees in the winter and lower it at night. In the summer, up the thermostat to 78 degrees. You can also raise or lower the thermostat when you’re not home. Consider investing in a programmable thermostat, which can do the job for you.
4. Use hot water frugally. Most fabrics come clean in warm or cold water, and today’s detergents are effective without hot water. Try to do full loads when you’re running both the clothes washer and the dishwasher. When it’s sunny outside, line dry your clothes.
5. Learn to take shorter showers to save on water heating costs.

For more information on lowering your energy bills, contact Blanton’s Heating & A/C. We’ve provided HVAC services to Fayetteville-area homeowners for more than 60 years.