How to Lower Your Electric Bill
The electric bill captures a huge brunt of your monthly expenses. It contains the accumulated cost of using every electrical device. Lowering the electric bill is clearly a big bonus to your savings, especially for those who live in dormitories and apartment units. You must cut down the use of high-consuming items and substitute them with more cost-friendly ones. Here are several strategies.
Sun Dry, Not Electric Dry
The electric dryer quickly dries your laundry. The problem is, the rate of your electric bill rises just as fast, due to the high-powered device’s electric consumption. To minimize your costs, you can use the earth’s primary heat source, the sun, as your natural dryer. The sun’s heat kills germs and odor-causing bacteria, aside from drying your clothes, which gives you more than you bargained for. Best of all, it does not add anything to your electric bill. Drying, of course, takes longer, but the savings are worth it.
Abuse the Coffee Shop
Coffee shops may sell overpriced coffee, but that’s okay, with the number of energy-saving activities you can do. For the price of your favorite drink, you get to use your laptop, charge your mobile phone and other gadgets, savor free air conditioning, and loads more. You can practically make the coffee shop your second home, without worrying about increasing the your monthly electrical expenses.
Mooch Off Your Neighbors
During your free time, instead of spending it at home, why not visit your neighbors. Engage them in interesting conversations, perhaps share more than a few tales and recipes. Your neighbor will be more than happy to let you use some of his or her home amenities, which indirectly lowers your electric consumption. Make sure your turn off your lights and other appliances while you’re out. This tactic works best for yuppies and college students.
Incandescent Bulbs Consume Too Much Electricity
The incandescent bulb, often used to illuminate your house for nearly the entire day, consumes too much energy for long term use. Substitute it with a fluorescent bulb, which gives you the same brightness for a lower cost. If possible, you can replace all your pin lights with their fluorescent counterparts to increase your savings even further. Don’t forget to turn off the light when leaving the room, even if it is a fluorescent bulb.
Open Your Windows
Sometimes the difference between a cold day and a warm one is the type of clothes you wear. During warm days, wear cool clothing and then open your windows. You’ll feel relaxed and refreshed, without using one of main proponents of your electrical expenses - the air conditioner.
These five strategies are simple yet they can make a big difference on your monthly electric consumption. Use each of them to your full advantage, preserving your monthly budget in the process.