Don’t Let Energy Vampires Scare You

Here are some tips for reducing your electric usage and eliminating frightful electric bills.

Start off with energy-efficient appliances. If you are replacing an old appliance, look for the Energy Star label, which assures you the product saves energy, and also prevents pollution. Buy the appliance best-suited to your needs and the size of your household, instead of the biggest with the most features.

Changing some simple settings can help lower your bills. Twenty percent of your household electric costs can come from your refrigerator. Check the temperature inside your fridge and freezer and adjust the settings so that your fridge reads 37-40 degrees and your freezer reads 3 degrees. Also use the energy saver switch. Adjusting your hot water thermostat can also result in significant savings. Try setting it for 120 degrees instead of 140 degrees.

When cleaning up it pays to pay attention to settings as well. Use warm or cold water when doing laundry, instead of hot. When running the dishwasher, make sure you fill it completely and use the energy saver setting. Consider drying dishes the old fashioned way or just allowing them to air-dry without using the heated drying cycle, which can save up to 20% of your dishwasher’s electricity usage.

Pay attention to appliances and devices that are “turned off” but are standing by – chargers that are left plugged in, electronics with remote controls, and anything with a digital clock display. If you are not using these things, you may not give them another thought, but they are still drawing electricity constantly and can account for 5% of your electric bill.

Use these simple tricks for a treat on your next electric bill.