Thrifty Homes: 4 Tricks to Saving Money on Your Utility Payments
Saturday, August 19, 2017, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment
Moving from your parent’s home or your rented apartment into your first home of your own is the beginning of a new phase of your life.
With the excitement and pride that comes with buying your first home, there’s also new responsibilities to consider.
One of those responsibilities includes creating a household budget and finding ways to keep monthly expenses within that budget.
Implementing money saving tips that reduce your utility bill gives you some extra money to put in your emergency fund.
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Develop Money-Saving Habits
One of the first money-saving habits you can develop is to turn off lights, electronics and all other devices that use power whenever they’re not in use. Taking steps to reduce phantom power can reduce your electric bill.
Getting into the habit of using appliances such as the clothes dryer or dishwasher in the cooler early morning or late-night hours will keep the air conditioner from working so hard.
Line drying your clothes will also reduce your power bill. Use your oven less and your grill more often during the summer to avoid heating up the house.
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Air Conditioner Maintenance
Having seasonal service checks done on your AC unit can keep it running efficiently. It’s typically recommended that you change your filter every 30 days. More frequent changes may be needed if you have pets.
You can also upgrade to something like HomeSmart From Xcel Energy or a similar, more high-tech home air conditioning system to make it more efficient.
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Window Treatments
Replacing the windows in your home can be rather costly. Adding blackout curtains or insulated curtains is a less expensive way to reduce your heating and cooling cost.
Closing curtains to keep the summer sun out and opening them to take advantage of the sun’s warmth in the winter is a good way to reduce your utility bill.
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Replacing Light Bulbs
One simple change you can make is to replace traditional incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs such as CFLs and LEDs.
The initial purchase price of energy-efficient light bulbs is higher than traditional bulbs but the energy saving benefit and the long-life of the bulbs makes it well worth the exchange.
Making a few changes in your routine and developing frugal living habits can help lower your utility bill.
Implementing frugal living tips in all areas of your life can help you save money. That savings can be used to make larger changes such as replacing old appliances with energy star appliances or adding replacement windows when the budget allows.
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Kara Masterson is a freelance writer from West Jordan, Utah. She graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing and spending time with her dog, Max.
