The Top Five Ways to Cut Down on Your Electric Bill

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With the economy in its current state of turmoil, families of all sizes are looking for ways to cut down on their monthly bills. And, it should come as no surprise that the electric bill is one of the first places everyone looks to lose a little of that extra expenses we all have to shoulder. Lucky for us there are several simple things we all can do to save significantly on our next electric bill.

1. Use your microwave.

If you have a choice between putting dinner in your traditional oven and putting it in the microwave, opt for the microwave. By using your microwave, you save significantly in the amount of power you use, not to mention dinner is ready within minutes.

2. Hang up a clothes line or use a drying rack.

Your dryer uses a huge amount of energy every time you dry a load of clothes. If you can, hang up a clothes line in the backyard and dry your clothes the old fashioned way or buy a drying rack. You can buy one for about $10 at your local store. Your wallet will thank you and your clothes will wind up smelling fresh and clean.

3. Install a solar powered attic fan.

In the summer, your attic can reach temperatures above 150 degrees and no matter how well your house is insulated, that heat is going to seep into your house. This makes your air conditioning unit work a lot harder and raises your bill. A solar powered attic fan is fairly inexpensive and keeps your attic cool without using any electricity and can decrease your electric bill up to 30 percent a month!

4. Unplug unused appliances.

Even if you are not using an appliance, when it is plugged into an outlet it still draws energy. Your cell phone chargers and computer chargers don’t need to be plugged in all the time. If you’re not using the toaster or the blender, don’t leave it plugged in. To save on electricity, only plug appliances in when you are using them. It’s that simple!

5. Have your air conditioner serviced.

You should consider getting your air conditioner serviced at least once a year to keep it in top running condition. If it’s older than 10 years, consider replacing it with a more efficient unit. A new unit can save you about 30 percent on your electric bill each month! With your air conditioning unit already using about 60 to 70 percent of the electricity a month, this can mean significant savings!

There are many more ways for you to save on your electric bill each month, but if you start with these top five methods listed above, you’re sure to start seeing your electric bill drop considerably in the next few months.

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