What can I do to keep my electricity bill as low as possible?
Answer:
build a generator that produces electricity from hamster wheels. then, buy a buch of hamsters and let 'em go wild. all you'll need is to pay for is hamster food! then you can tell your electric company to take a hike, and laugh all the way to the bank!
dont use items that require electric. Keep your AC set high to keep it down.
turn off and unplug everything that is not essential.
Here's a link full of tips.
go to the evil empire (Walmart) and buy some of those swirly looking low-watt lightbulbs that use less than half the wattage (I saved a lot on my bill when I started using them. .
also, unplug boomboxes (stereos), etc., when not using them. . they can draw as much power when they are turned off as when they are on. .
No A/C of course.
Turn lights off as you leave the room.
Dont leave appliances you dont need on all the time on. (coffee pot light, micro wave light etc..)
Wash only full loads of clothes.
turn everything off lol .. if ur ac is old chances are a newer high-capacity unit would cut your bill in half. dont let friends or relatives come over that always runs the bill up ..
.usually the ac is the key though . a central air unit can pull 40amps+ of 220 volt . thats ampsXvolts =watts . thats 8800watts .. even a 10 - 100watt bulbs burning 24/7 pale in comparison .. control that ac or get a new one .. a dryer can eat watts to so only do laundry when u have full loads and careful how u set the timer so it shuts off exactly when the cloths dry
..be careful if u have an electric water system and not city water .. every time the water pump comes on if its a 220 also, its costing u $$$$ . so make sure there are no leaks in the system and dont let kids play with the water or friends wash their car with it.
turn off lights when no one is in the room.. wash and dry clothes after 6..turn your water heater off during the night..
Don't run the AC if you have AC. If you do, only run it when your home and make sure all of your windows and doors are sealed.
Turn off all lights when you leave. Unplug appliances when not in use and just generally lower you energy comsumption.
Many appliances operate in "standby" mode. This means that even though they are off, they run a clock or use electricity while waiting for you to turn them on with a remote. If you have appliances that you don't use frequently, unplug them instead of just leaving them off.
You could start by watching what you leave on even if you dont need it, also most companies will offer some kind of budget plan. they will take an average of your last 12 bills and thats what you'll pay monthly. summer monthes tend to be higher than winter, i think, so it will help to even it out and then you will be able to manage your money better because then you will already have an idea of what it's going to cost you every month.
Try this Site: http://www.realmoneyideas.com Go to the
"Cutting Expenses" page. SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE to the
section "Electric Bill Savings" Lots of great ideas there.
I think the others above already gave some big tips, here are little ones:
Only use lamps when you need to. Lamps burning during the day also help heat the house which additionally costs electricity because the A/C has to work more.
Watch TV at your neighbor's.
1. Don't have he AC on as much
2. Turn off lights when your not using them
3. Run the dishwasher and laundry machine at night
4. Turn off computer at night or when not in use
5. Don't put on outside lights
It depends a great deal on what your are using electricity for. If just for lights, you can turn off whatever you aren't using and replace incandescent bulbs with fluorescent. If air conditioning, turn the thermostat up or, better yet, turn the a/c off altogether. If heating, turn the thermostat down and wear sweaters. If cooking, I believe the microwave uses less power than an electric stove, so use the microwave whenever possible. If hot water, lower the temperature of your hot water and use less.
(a) see if your area has more than one electric company to compare rates per unit; (b) find a hampster to run your computer hard drive; and (c) pay no attention to tip (b).
Set the ac high in the summer, the heat lower in the winter. Cut back on computer hours. When you leave the computer for more than an hour, turn it off. When you leave the tv for 5-10 mins, cut it off. Don't leave tv's on all night.
The easiest thing to do is to just look at things running. Think "Does this use electricity?" If yes, think "Is this more than I need?"
Go to Home Depot.com for information on energy saving improvements. efficient bulbs, caulking cracks, keep shades down in daytime. Leave AC on while gone but at a higher temp, like 78. TURN OFF LIGHTS WHEN YOU LEAVE ROOM, lighting uses a vast amount of energy. Search for a cheaper electric provider, easy to do now.
turn your lites off
conserve - real simple
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