Save Money by Reducing Household Utility Expenses

This record provides many useful tips on reducing your household utility expenses. One easy way to have more money is to reduce your living expenses. Thus by using a wee time and effort, you can save money that otherwise might be spent needlessly.

Electricity

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Turn off lights when not in use.

Start using the new contract fluorescent light bulbs. They have a long life and use much less electricity.

Consider turning off the power to your television and any computer tool when not in use. You may want to plug your computer tool into a power strip. Then you can just turn off the switch on the power strip.

Make sure that all electrical appliances are properly maintained.

Don't leave the refrigerator door open for no reason. Put the food away or take the food out and then close the door.

Heating and cooling

You can save money on heating and cooling by changing your desired ease level, changing your habits, reducing your heat losses and/or gains, or a blend of these methods. There also are other considerations you may want to implement.

Changing your desired ease level -- Lower your thermostat any degrees in the winter and raise it any degrees in the summer (if you have air conditioning). If this makes you too cold in the winter, you could start wearing sweaters.

Turn off your thermostat when it's nice outside. (You might even open your doors and/or conveyable windows and enjoy the fresh air.)

Changing your habits -- You can use an self-operating setback thermostat to reduce the temperature required when you are sleeping or away from home at work.

On the days that you use your clothes dryer, run all the batches of clothes one after the other. This way your clothes dryer does not have to warm up any times during the day. Remember to clean out the lint filter between loads.

If you use natural gas for heating during the winter, see if it is economy to have your gas provide shut off during the off-season as opposed to paying monthly maintenance charges.

Reducing your heat losses and/or gains -- You can greatly reduce your every year heating and/or cooling expenses by limiting the transfer of heat between your house and the surface air.

Relatively inexpensive methods -- All the following methods probably are worth their cost. This is especially true if you do the work yourself.

Apply caulking and weather stripping nearby your home's surface to minimize air infiltration from the outside. Note that caulking and weather stripping ultimately deteriorates. So even if you already have this protection, you should see if it needs to be substituted or upgraded.

Another way to reduce air infiltration from the surface is to air seal your home. This takes care of air leaks that can't be handled by caulking and weather stripping. Examples are using addition foam to fill cracks and holes in the siding, and using gaskets to seal nearby switches and receptacles in surface walls.

Get your furnace and air conditioner inspected and maintained on a regular basis. An efficiently operating law will do a best job and cost less money. (Also, if a motor is wearing out, you want it substituted during the off-season. You don't want to be without your furnace in the winter or your air conditioner in the summer.) change the air filters as recommended by the manufacturer.

To reduce cold air advent into your home in winter, you can setup a blend screen door and storm door. Also, you can cover the inside or surface of windows with plastic sheets.

Seal off any rooms in your home that you don't use anymore. This would contain placing weather stripping nearby the top and sides of doors, and a door sweep at the bottom; putting plastic sheeting to cover the insides of windows; and end off the heating registers. However, you need to keep any room with water pipes in an surface wall warm sufficient so the pipes don't freeze. Taste your local construction inspector for any restrictions that may apply.

You can use blinds or drapes at windows to control how much sunlight comes in from the south and west. Commonly you want to let the sunlight in during winter to help warm your house. However, you want to keep most of the sunlight out during the summer to help cool your house.

Relatively expensive methods -- You want to be sure the staggering savings in heating and cooling expenses take place within a inexpensive time. Otherwise, safe bet methods may not be worth the cost.

If you are having insulation installed in your home the best locations Commonly would be the attic floor, any uninsulated walls and floors exposed to the surface air, and any uninsulated heating/cooling ducts exposed to the surface air.

In the attic, loose fill or roll insulation can be placed between the ceiling joists. Added blown-in insulation can be placed on top of any existing insulation. However, the insulation should be kept away from any hot spots, such as a furnace exhaust flue, ceiling heater, or recessed light fixture. Any heat buildup nearby these hot spots ultimately might cause a fire in the attic.

Uninsulated surface wall cavities can be filled with blown-in or foam insulation. Roll or batt insulation can be suspended under the floor joists with wires.

Before having insulation installed in your home, be sure to Taste your local construction inspector for any restrictions and construction permits that may be required.

If installing the insulation yourself, study a how-to by hand if you lack experience. (However, this type of work Commonly is best left to an experienced contractor.)

Other considerations -- also maintaining the desired room temperature, a medicinal indoor environment includes sufficient air ventilation to expel immoderate moisture and any pollutants. Consulation of these matters is beyond the scope of this article. You should consult with an experienced undertaker of a package deal or consultant if you have any questions about these matters.

Install a ceiling fan in the room where you spend most of your waking hours. This will circulate warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer, addition the ease level.

Hot water

Wrap your hot water tank with the extra blanket insulation made for this purpose. However, don't block any access panels or combustion air inlets.

Showers use less hot water than taking a bath. Nevertheless, they can get you just as clean if not cleaner.

Use a flow restrictor on your shower nozzle to reduce the number of hot water used.

Use full loads in your clothes washer and dishwasher. This is the most efficient way to use these appliances. Use cold water to wash and rinse your clothes whenever practical.

Lower the temperature control on your hot water tank. (There Commonly is no need to have scalding hot water available.)

Telephone

See if you can find a economy telephone provider for the type and frequency of the services you need. (With the deregulation of the telephone commerce in the United States there are many competitors offering telephone service. Competition brings lower prices.)

Only pay for the services that you honestly need. Consider either you can do without any services that are billed separately. Thus if you are being expensed for directory aid you might want to use a phone book and keep track of all out of town numbers you use.

If you are expensed more for safe bet telephone services during peak hours, try to use these services during off-peak hours instead.

Investigate either using a cell phone will lower your thorough telephone expense. On the other hand, you may save money by dropping your cell phone and using only a landline telephone. (This presumes you don't honestly need to use a phone while away from home.)

Water and sewer

Most cities base your sewer charges on your water consumption. Therefore, by reducing water usage you are saving on both water and sewer charges. If you have a septic tank or cesspool, it will need periodic discharge of the sludge. Otherwise, you might be forced to replace your drain lines or cesspool.

Fix any leaking water pipes and dripping faucets. This constant flow of water increases your water and sewer bill with no advantage to you. Some people suggest putting a brick or other large object in the toilet tank to reduce water consumption. However, if this requires you to flush twice (to make the stuff all go down) on a frequent basis, this may not be a good idea for you.

Reducing water usage is someone else imagine to use a flow restrictor in your shower nozzle. Don't let the water run while brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing your face and hands. Use a glass of water to brush your teeth. Fill a stoppered washbasin to shave or wash yourself.

Save Money by Reducing Household Utility Expenses

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