13 Ways to Save Energy and Cut Utility Bills

Slashing unnecessary expenses on necessary items like utilities is on everyone’s mind.   Saving money may seem difficult when summer temperatures swell or winter chills have you cranking up the thermostat.  While we can’t eliminate our water bills or electric bills, there are lots of tips and tricks to keep the costs down.

13 Ways to Save Energy and Cut Utility Costs

1. Switch to LED bulbs.  We hear it all the time, and for good reason.  LED bulbs use less energy and last longer than regular incandescent bulbs.  They also create less heat, meaning your air conditioner bill goes down.
2. Buy blackout panels to hang behind your curtains.  Blackout panels are heavy duty and block out heat and light.  Less sunshine coming into your house means a cooler house that’s easier on the air conditioner expense.
3. Use icepacks to keep cool.  Gel icepacks available at any drugstore are inexpensive and energy efficient.  Try putting an icepack in a towel or even inside your pillowcase (right behind your neck) for all-night cooling while you sleep.  When we discovered that our daughter would rather sleep with an icepack than with a fan blowing on her all night, we were all in favor!  Put them in the freezer in the morning and they’re ready at bedtime.
4. Turn the lights off!  Turning out the lights when you leave a room is a great habit for the entire family to start.
5. Stay in or stay out.  Sound familiar?  As parents ourselves, we now know why our parents were always telling us, “Either stay outside or stay inside, but quit opening the door!”  Keep that expensive cooled or heated air where it belongs – in the house.
6. Seal your doors and windows.  Weatherization is as important for summertime as it is for wintertime.  Don’t let your expensive heated or cooled air escape through drafty window or door seals.  Weather stripping is cheap and quickly installed.
7. Unbundle or switch to the basic plan.  Cable, home phone, cell phone – many people pay for extra services on these plans that they don’t need and may not even use.  Do some research with your provider to see how you can cut down your bill.
8.  Unplug cords when items aren’t in use.  Many electrical items are always in standby mode and use energy 24 hours a day in, even if they’re not in use!  View a list of common energy vampire taps.
9. Use power strips that can be easily turned off before bedtime or before leaving the house.
10. Clean under your refrigerator.  The dust bunnies that accumulate under your refrigerator actually make it work hard to do its job.  Take a vacuum to your refrigerator vent regularly to keep dirt from building up.
11. Clean out your dryer’s lint trap.  A full lint trap causes a dryer to work harder than necessary, using extra energy and taking longer to get clothes dry.  Empty the lint trap before every load of laundry and take the vacuum to it for a thorough cleaning once a month.
12. Line dry your clothes.  Nothing like solar energy for cheap utility!
13. Replace old appliances with Energy Star appliances.  The Energy Star rating means they operate more efficiently while using less energy, which means utility savings for you.