Slash Up To $800 From Your Electric Bill

With electricity prices sky rocketing, opening your electric bill can be a shocking experience. Here are 10 steps that I found in an article in Family Handy Man that can slash your electric bill by $800 per year

10 Step Plan to Save Electricity

1) Switch to CFL's (Savings: up to $35 per bulb).

Replacing regular bulbs with CFL bulbs is a place that everyone can start at. CFL's use about 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer.

2) Install Smarter Switches (Savings: up to $100 per year)

Motion sensors automatically turn lights on and off so you only get light when you need it. They are great for bedrooms because they will not turn on when you move in your sleep.

Use timers to control bath fans. The fan will turn off at a pre-determined time after the bathroom has aired out.

3)Buy Energy Star appliances (Savings: $35 to $600 a year)

When you shop for new appliances, always look for the Energy Star label. This label means that the appliance meets cetain energy efficiency guidelines. According to Family HandyMan the average family spends $2,000 each year on thier energy bill. Using Energy Star appliances can cut this bill by 30%. You do not have to replace all of your appliances to see a savings. Just replacing your refrigerator with an Energy Star product can save approximately $110 yearly.

Remember to recycle when you get rid of your old appliance.

4)Service Your Air Conditioner

Approximately one half of your home's annual energy bill, or $1,000, is spent on heating and cooling. An air conditioner sitting in the direct sunlight uses about 10% percent more electricity. Place units on the north side of your home or place an awning over it. You can also plant shrubs or trees nearby which will shade the unit.

Keep window or central air units turned up so they run at peak efficiency (search for air conditoners at http://thefamilyhandyman.com to find out how to do this yourself.

Every two to three years, have a professional come out to inspect the unit and refrigerant (approx $150)

If your unit is over 12 years old, replace it with an Energy Star unit. This can cut your cooling cost by about 30% and save on maintenance costs. According to the article, air conditioner's efficiency level is measured by the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). The higher the number the more efficient the unit. A 13 - 14 SEER rating is considered high efficiency.

5)Kill Energy Vampires

75% of the electrical use by home electronics occurs when they are not turned off. Leaving on TV's, radios, computers, etc suck up energy and can cost you $100 per year. Unplug your electronics or plug them into a power strip and cut off the strip when not in use.

Don't worry about losing your settings on your TV, VCR or DVR because new models have a memory chip which will reset everything once turned back on.

6) Clean Lint Out Of The Dryer (Savings: up to $25 per year)

Clogged lint screen or dryer duct can drastically reduce the efficiency of your dryer. Clean the lint screen each load and clean the exhaust duct once per year.

Electric dryers use about $85 of electricity annually. A dirty lint screen can use up to 30% more energy.

Another tip: dry loads back to back so the dryer does not have time to cool down. (A warm dryer uses less energy)

7)Change Furnace Filter (Savings: up to $60 a year)

Keep your furnace tuned up can save big bucks. It can make your furnace more efficient and pro longs the life of the furnace.

Change the filter monthly.

8)Save on Electric Water Heater (Savings: up to $25 yearly)

Install an electronic timer switch to turn the water heater off during times when water is not being used. Timers can be programmed for daily or weekly schedules.

Also, drain and flush your heater periodically to remove sediment; otherwise your heater could be heating through inches of sediment before heating the water.

If your water heater is warm or hot to the touch, it is losing heat. Wrap it with an insulating blanket

9)Get a Smart Meter

Smart Meters are obtained from utility companies and vary from company to company. The meter keeps track of how much electricity you are using. Some companies pay you for signing up. They also reward you for using electricity in off peak periods.

Having a smart meter is especially effective if you are gone all day because you do not realize when appliances are turned off. According to the article you can cut 7% or $140 yearly by using a smart meter.

10)Run Your Refrigerator For Less

Did you know that your refrigerator uses more energy than all of your other appliances combined? The secret to keeping energy costs down is to vaccum/clean the coils twice a year. This can cut your energy cost by 30 - 50 %.

The freezer and fridge run more efficiently when they are full. Put water bottles in the fridge and ice bags in the freezer to keep them filled. The most efficient temperature setting for your refrigerator is 35-38 degrees and the freezer between 0-5 degrees.

Did you know....

that you can actually monitor your electricity usage? Electric monitors can give you real time readout of how much electricity you are using from minute to minute or on a monthly basis. By seeing this readout, you can understand how to reduce consumption. Electric meters can be purchased at Amazon.Com, Target and BlackandDecker.com.

Information from this post was obtained from the Family Handy Man Magazine, February 2009 issue.

Here is a list of websites mentioned in the article that can save you money:

energy.gov

dsireusa.org

efi.org

energystar.gov

energytaxincentives.org