Ways to Save Money on Utilities

Home weatherproofing is a popular topic when it starts getting cool in the fall. This is a great time to do it but it can also save you money during the summer if you run an air conditioner. Home weatherproofing starts with finding air leaks around doors and windows and sealing them. The leaks tend to be more common around older doors and windows, however new versions are not immune so it is best to check them all. Weather stripping and silicone caulking are your weapons of choice here. Placing this around the door and where windows rest on their sills. Using silicone caulking around the outside of windows can keep some air from seeping past the window frames. Consider using plastic window covering to reduce air exchange even more around windows. The plastic can be places outside using lathes or on the inside using self-adhesive window plastic.

Insulating the water heater is overlooked by many people that winterize their house. Tankless water heaters don't need insulated but they cost a lot more than a traditional water heater. Using a water heater jacket helps keep the tank of hot water from losing as much heat as it normally does. This reduces the time the heater element has to run. The more energy that is used to keep water warm means the more energy you will be paying for. Estimations fall between 5% and 10% for the savings amount of heating costs for hot water when the water heater is insulated. One can be installed in less than an hour. That is a good return on your investment.

The average family of four can use close to 400 gallons of water each day. All of this water isn't going through the home but a large portion is. Reducing this will reduce utility bills. A leaky toilet 

can flush away up to 200 gallons of water each and every day. If a new toilet isn't in the budget then anew flapper and seal is the next best thing. A few minutes is all that it will take to swap out the flapper in the toilet. If you aren't sure how just search for a video on the internet. Replacing the shower head is another way to reduce water usage. Low flow shower heads are much more efficient than older shower heads were. Making sure the washer and dishwasher are full before running them are ways to conserve water. Shortening the lengths of showers and reducing the amount of water used in baths are other ways. Also, turning the water to just a little cooler of a temperature can help save on water heating costs.

There are a wide variety of ways to reduce electricity consumption in the home. Most are small but if everyone participates in saving and does more than one thing the results will be significant.

 Appliances and electronics use electricity even when they are not being used for what they aredesigned to do. Electronics that are not needed at the time can be unplugged to save electricity. Using a power strip can eliminate the need to plug in everything when you want to use it. Just flip the switch on the power strip. Compact fluorescent lamps use much less electricity than conventional light bulbs. To save even more, make sure all lights are turned off when not needed. Dryers require a lot of electricity. A way to reduce this is to hang dry as much of your laundry as possible. Replacing or repairing seals around freezers and refrigerators that don't seal correctly will save you many dollars per year.

How to save money on utility bills

Sunlight is free. It also can assist in heating a home. In the winter, allow the sunlight in your home. In the summer, try to keep it out during the afternoon hours. Getting as much heat from the sun as you can during the winter months reduces the work that your stove or furnace has to do to supply heat. During the summertime, save on air conditioning costs by keeping the heat from the sun out.

This is only a few of the ways about how to save money on utilities. There are larger, more significant ways to reduce utility bills, as well. Proper home insulation usually makes the biggest difference if you can afford it. Trading in old appliances and replacing them with Energy Star models can be a good investment for long-term savings. If the more expensive improvements aren’t in your budget, you can still make a sizable progress in reducing your utility bill by taking smaller steps like those mentioned above.