What are some simple things I could do to save electricity?

Question

Just around my house: not anything really drastic, but small changes. I've already changed all the lightbulbs to 15 watt ones, (and seen the difference on my bill) ..but what else can I do?

Thank you for all the tips and tricks..I'll be sure to try them out.

Answer 1

Use BIG appliances such as your dishwasher, washer and dryer after 8pm. If you have empty or vacant rooms in your house, close off the air vents to that room, set your thermostat to 65 during the day, that is if you are not home, then come on an hour before you get home to 70, and set it to 70 or 72 during the night. If you dont already have blinds or shutters, get them. Also adding curtains will help too, the thicker, the better. Check all the doors and windows to be sure they are all sealed properly. Replace the air filter in your heater at least once every 3 months. And, if its not in use, shut it off.

Answer 2

First, get rid of all the 15 watt light bulbs. Install fluorescent lights, they will save you money and let you see what you are doing. get in the habit of turning lights off every time you leave a room. Set your thermostat on 68 during the day and 62 at night. Watch Any appliance that generates heat, which consumes watts of juice. Replace any old ones with the new energy savings type.

Answer 3

If you have an electric hot water heater, turn the temp down so it does not run as often. (If you have to use a lot of cold water for shower temps ect then this could be a great saver).
Make sure you are not losing heat or cooling through door gaps at bottom ( if so, a blanket thrown down in front is a cheap easy fix) or window seals. If needed, caulking around windows on outside will fix this.
Replacing regular bulbs with the new florescent types.
Closing vents in rooms that may not be used often.

Answer 4

One I have used for a long time: Set up a recirculating pump,with a timer and use your gutters to collect the runoff. Then, during the summer have it spray the roof of your house, or just go out at the hottest time of day and spray it with a water hose til its just wet. It gets the heat out of the attic,and reduces the amount of cooling you require by evaporation.

Answer 5

Put the heat right where you need it by using an electric blanket and turning down the bedroom heat even more than the rest of the house.

Answer 6

If you have a really old central a.c. consider having it changed to one with a high seer rating. I did this at my old house and dropped the light bill by 1/2 in the summer. (it paid for the unit in 2 yrs, I live in Louisiana)

Answer 7

Those little pig tail light bulbs are your best bet....
I keep my thermostat at 60f when i am by myself in the winter, but the family doesnt like it under 70
If you live in a humid climate, use a dehumidifier to take some of the strain off your AC, but it costs hundreds of dollars.
use those outlet gaskets on your switches on the walls on the perimeter of the house

Answer 8

Well that's good, remember not to leave on lights or equipment that don't necessarily need to be on, avoid turning off and on lights and equipment too steady, always look for low energy consumption equipment when purchasing for your home, teach your kids or others in the home to do the same!!!!!

Answer 9

Clean underneath your refrigerator.
I'ver read that packing your freezer helps it to fun more efficiently along with less stuff in the frigerator part.

Answer 10

The easiest thing to do is to unplug common items when not in use. Blow drier, cell phone charger, toaster, coffee pot etc. Good Luck!