how can i make my power bill go down ??

Question

the last few months our power bill has been around $160 !! This may be normal or not, but it is way too high for us ! does anybody know of ways that we can dramatically lower our bill ?? we live in florida, so i am sure the temp has a lot do do with this, as we have central heat and air. what is the best temp to keep the AC so the bill is cheaper ? please help soon and give me some ideas to lower this please, before we go broke !! thanks

Answer 1

Use electricity less.

Answer 2

Turning off electricity is obvious, but what not may be obvious are the silent electricity users. Did you know your TV is still using electricity when it is turned off......just so you can have instant picture when you turn it on? So with the TV unplug it. Turn off your computer/monitor/printer, not just put them in sleep mode. Avoid turning on the TV for background noise. Turn it on and watch it, otherwise, leave it off and unplugged.

Another big electricity user is your refrigerator. Keep the coils in the back (if there) clean so the machine can operate efficiently. Keep the doors shut, don't leave it open and stare, "What's for dinner?" The freezer should be kept full, the refrigerator section works the best with plenty of air circulation around the food.

Also in the kitchen, don't use the drying cycle on the dishwasher, open the door and let the dishes air dry. Avoid using the oven. In countries where energy is nonexistent or limited, they quick cook their food.......stir fry for example. Toasters and hair dryers are also big energy users. Any applicance that heats up is an energy user.......clothes dryer though in Florida you may not have an alternative. Always use cold water to wash your clothes, not hot. Your water is tepid anyway, it often doesn't need to be heated for clothes washing. Also take shorter showers.......turn the water off while you suds up, then turn it on just to rinse off. By not letting hot water run, you'll use less water and electricty (if that's how you heat water.)

As for the house, raise your thermostat a degree or two. Ideally you should add more insulation to your home, but that costs $ too. So raise your thermostat and use fans as suggested in other answers here. Use your blinds/curtains to keep direct sunlight from entering your home. Open them when the sun moves to a new spot.

Answer 3

Use less electricity...Turn off the lights when you don't need them, use fans instead of AC. The best temp depends on the weather outside. Usually you put it around 72-80 degrees. Don't leave the TV and the computer on 24/7.

Answer 4

Thats actually cheep compared to mine- at $240, yes i live in hurracaine alley as well.
Appliances when not in use ( off) still actually draw electricity ( tvs, radios, ect) - close off rooms not being used ( bathrooms, spare rooms) in the house ( and close vents in the room) from ac , so its not working that much harder. It doesnt need to be frigid air either, over 75 will be fine - ceiling fans are supposed to cool better yet with the a/c. Keep the curtains closed during the day - to keep the heat out. Another way? Change normal light bulbs over to low cost halogen bulbs - believe it or not- they give off the same amount of light. Shut lites off in rooms not being used.

Answer 5

try using fans instead of the a/c and keep the a/c on only in the night..:) that helps also dont use so much of lights during the day because that could bring it up..
P.S dont tell me that u cant use a fan and the a/c is best because it is hot. i live in the united arab emirates which is a desert and i use a fan! it works!
what temp? it is still running so there is no lower or higher temp to keep the a/c

Answer 6

It's called don't use the AC. putting the AC on at all, uses a lot of energy. If you want to drastically cut the bill, and not just cut it by 5 dollars or so, stop using the AC, and deal with the heat some other way.

Answer 7

replace all bulbs with compact flouresent
replace all appliance older than 5 years with energy efficient models
Install a clothes line instead of using your dryer
use your grill to cook instead of heating up the house
do laundry/run dishwasher at night when less electric is demanded
Keep curtains drawn during the day to block out sun light
Keep A/C at 72 -75 degrees
unplug ALL appliances when not in use
Grow shade trees around the house to keep the sun off of it
replace old or broken windows
reinsulate the house

Answer 8

Keep your air conditionner on air rather. Use less ceiling fans.Shut your lights, better yet use fluorescent lights and don't put them on if not needed. Use electric stove and micro-wave for more than one thing at a time. Cut down at most on electricity.

Answer 9

Lol uhm use less electricity. $160 isnt expensive for more than one person

Answer 10

well for one thing, when you go to bed make sure all of the lights are off. turn off the TV when you are not using it. turn off the computer when you are not using it. really just turn off the things that you are not using.