10 Best Ways to Save on your Utility Bills | PremierImprovementsOne.com

For cost-saving ideas, if money is tight and you are looking for ways to save cash, consider your washer, hot water heater and ceiling fan.

Utility bills can be expensive. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR program, the average household in America spends approximately $2,000 annually on energy bills. You can boost your family's budget by finding ways to lower your monthly utility bills.

You can do basic things like turning off lights when you leave a space and not lowering the temperature of your air conditioner so that it freezes your home, but you will need to do more to conserve energy and reduce your utility bills.

Lauren Greutman is a consumer savings expert at LaurenGreutman.com. She says, "A lot of small things add up to big saving."

So what can you do to reduce the financial burden resulting from your daily activities?

USA TODAY met with budget experts to learn some utility-saving tips. Here are 10 ways you can save:

1. Take a look around

Greutman suggests that you compare shop for clothes, cars, and loans. You should also shop around to find a lower-cost utility provider.

She advises that you call your power company to get a list of energy providers they use. Once you have this list, compare prices and choose the lowest-price provider. This one phone call can help you save hundreds of dollars.

2. Your thermostat can be controlled

It is a way to transfer wealth to utility providers by keeping your home too hot or too cold when there are no one else in your home.

If your son prefers to be in a cool place to sleep during the summer months, it doesn't necessarily mean that he should set the temperature to a cold temperature before he gets up and goes to work. You can also set it to 66° at 11 p.m., and keep it there all night.

Greutman says, "Set the thermostat higher during the day when it's not home" and lower at night when it is asleep. You won't forget about it when you leave, and you won’t end up heating an empty house. This is what I hate!

A smart thermostat, or a programmable thermostat, is best to execute this plan. Greutman says that he has one and can set it to turn down 6 degrees at night, and then come back on when he wakes up in the morning. According to energy.gov, you can program the thermostat to turn down during peak hours. You could save up to 1% annually for every 8-hour period that your thermostat is turned down.

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3. Your hot water heater should be cooled

A hot shower is a great way to start the day. Heating the tank takes a lot of energy. According to energy.gov, the average household spends $400-$600 per year to heat water. This accounts for 14%-18% of their total utility bills. Although the default setting for hot water heaters is 140°, it's possible to lower it and still have a warm shower.

Greutman suggests that you turn your water heater down from 120 degrees to save money.

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4. Run appliances late at night

You can save money while you sleep. When energy prices drop, you can run appliances such as the clothes dryer and dishwasher late at night or before bedtime.

Greutman states that utility companies will charge more for energy used in peak hours. Plan to use these appliances when the costs are lower.

5. Filters are important!

Regularly changing your filters will ensure that your heating and cooling system runs efficiently. It is important to maintain your heating and air conditioning units. It is important to change your filter according to the manufacturer's recommendations. This can be either monthly or quarterly, depending on how high the filter is.

Kumiko Love, creator of The Budget Mom blog, says "Ensure that your furnace (and AC) is maintained regularly by cleaning it and changing the filter."

The PennyHoarder.com says that air conditioners can become blocked when they are clogged with pet hair, dirt, and dust.

6. Lower lighting costs

To save money on your electric bills, you don't need to be in the dark. Different lights consume less energy than others. Love suggests that you could also save energy by setting timers to turn off lights when they aren't being used.

Love says that switching to LEDs from incandescent bulbs can help you save money over the life of your bulb. According to superbrightleds.com, LED bulbs last 42 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, and consume 80% less power.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are another option to save money. Love states that CFLs are great for outdoor lighting, which is often left on for extended periods of time. According to energy.gov, ENERGY STAR-qualified CFLs use less energy and last ten times as long as traditional incandescent bulbs.

7. Do use ceiling fans

Love says, "If you have ceiling fan, use them." She says that your A/C consumes approximately 25% of your household's electricity, which is roughly 36 cents per hour. This appliance is the most expensive. She adds that a ceiling fan is only a penny per hour and costs less than a regular air conditioner. A fan can not cool down a room, but it can make it "feel cooler."

She says that by using a fan and raising the thermostat temperature 4 degrees, you can reduce summer cooling costs by $104.

8. When offline, unplug

Love said, "I unplug all that I don't use." Perfect examples are microwaves and coffee makers. Even when you are in standby mode there are many things in your house that use power. Computers and TVs consume a lot more electricity, so unplugging them can help you save a lot of money.

9. Use cold water to wash clothes

To save energy heating water, use the cold water setting in your clothes washer. According to energystar.gov, water heating accounts for about 90% of energy required to run a clothes washer.

10. Every penny counts

You will save more each month if you take proactive steps to reduce your home's energy use.

Love says that it doesn't take a lot to make a difference in savings.

At Premier Improvements, We can handle all of your needs from the Design, Permitting, Installation & Inspection of both Residential and Commercial properties. With Solar Tax Credits still available it's a perfect time to start moving forward to your financial freedom from the Utilities. Servicing All of the Connecticut and Massachusetts as well as Rhode Island we are always here to help you and answer any Questions you may have. Give us a Call @ (860)969-4006 or visit our website @ PremierImprovementsOne.com for additional info.

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