Top Energy Saving Tips to Reduce Electricity Bill in Winters

All of us are looking for ways to save energy. The good news is that it just takes a few lifestyle changes to make significant savings and reduce your electricity bill. Here are the top tips for how to reduce electricity bill this winter.

Keeping your home warm in winter should not mean that you end up broke. For those living in cold countries, heating devices are the most important factor for increased energy bills.

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The rising costs of electricity make it all the more imperative that we use some tips for cutting our energy bills. Read on.

Tips to Reduce Electricity Bill in Winters

1. How to Save Electricity at Home – Tapping on Existing Heat

Keep those warm clothes on even while at home. Why not dress up in layers. Use insulated curtains.

Take out those flannel sheets. Learn to love those socks. If you keep your feet warm, the whole body feels warm. Wear a sweater instead of cranking up the thermostat. Use thick curtains with thermal linings. It’s a cheap option when considering ways to save electricity.

Tip: If you don’t want to purchase new curtains, just line the existing ones with cheap fleece or use PVC shower ones, for conservation of electricity and to reduce electric bill.

2. Smart Programmable Thermostats

You can program these in advance so that you get better control over the heating. Switch over from manual ones and you could save around $180 in a year.

You can install the smart thermostats yourself. It just costs around $50 to $100. It offers different presetting of temperatures for different hours of the day so that you can lower temperatures when not at home or when sleeping.  You can even use an app for controlling the settings when you’re outside your home.

Tip: Check out Energy Stars tips on programmable thermostats.

3. Upgrading Kitchen Gadgets

If your devices are more than ten years old, replace them with efficient Energy star one, as they use less energy and are part of excellent energy saving ideas.  Your electrical appliances are responsible for around 30% of your bills.

Use energy efficient options for water heaters; dishwashers; dryers or any other devices used for cooking, laundry and so on. Energy efficient devices use the minimum amount of energy needed.

4. Maintenance – One of the Important Energy Saving Tips

If you’re saying ‘I want to lower my electric bill’, try to maintain furnaces well. It will be more efficient and you can save on energy. Whether you own an electric heater, a gas heater or oil one, it needs attention at least once a year.

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Reduce gas bill in winter by making sure that the filters in heating systems are clean, as a dirty filter could result in more electricity costs. Save on heating costs by checking the outside of the heating unit, to ensure that no dirt or leaves are blocking it.

Tip: You get bulk filter packs for just about a dollar or two per filter. Measure your vent size to get the correct fitting ones, if you want to save money on electricity.

5. Insulation and Thermostat Efficiency Energy Saving Ideas

• Open the curtains during the day to let the warmth of the sun in. Close them at night to trap the heat in. It’s a great energy saver.
• How to lower electric bill? Don’t allow heat to escape when the heater is on and thus save energy at home. Minimize loss of heat. Turn off the ventilation fans in the bathroom or the kitchen when not in use.
• Turn on the heating only when you need it and save on electricity bill.
• Turn down the thermostat by just one degree. It could have a huge savings impact on your electricity bills. And you’ll hardly notice the difference in temperature.
• Use energy monitoring gadgets for measuring the amount of electricity that you’re actually consuming to help you lower electricity bill.
• Don’t waste energy for heating up rooms that you don’t use. Sealing the ducts is a great way to save energy.

6. Reduce Phantom Loads

Unplug devices that are not actually in use, as part of ways to save electricity at home.  For instance, if you’re not charging your phone, or if you’re not watching television, it could still consume electricity if you leave the switch on. It’s similar to keeping the tap running when not in use. Unplug those devices that are not in use.

Hint: Make use of eco powerstrips. It can cut off electricity supply automatically, when a device is not being charged.

7. Using LED Options

Use LED bulbs to save energy as part of electricity saving tips.  They consume 90% less energy when compared to conventional bulbs. Phase out the replacement, beginning with the bulbs that you use more often.

Typically, an 84-watt traditional bulb could be replaced by an LED of 36 watts, offering the same light level. They also last 6 times longer and is an important aspect of power saving tips.

8. Make Lifestyle Changes to Conserve Electricity

• Try out spending a minute less in the shower to reduce water and energy bills. Reduce the heater setting by a few degrees. Use an insulation jacket to trap the heat inside for a longer time.
• We all want the best electricity rates. Why not use a microwave instead of your regular oven? Microwaves only use around 20% of the energy that is needed to run your regular oven. You could at least use it for reheating purposes for saving electricity at home.
• Make sure that you keep your freezer and fridges full, as it uses less energy this way. Food acts like an insulator and the fridge stays cool with lesser energy. It’s one of the top ways to save energy at home.

Last Word

So you see, you don’t have to spend much money buying new green gadgets or sacrificing your comfort, in order to save power and reduce your electricity bills this winter. All you need to do is to inculcate these smart tips to drive down energy costs and keep your power bill low.

Just try using your gadgets more efficiently. Finding out ways for reducing your electricity bill this winter is not so complicated after all. Just try cracking down on all your energy wasting habits and it will reduce the drain on your bank account.