It’s cold, it’s going to snow and if we listen closely enough we can hear the electricity meter spinning around like crazy as we try to keep our houses warm during the cold winter. And having shorter daylight hours means that we are using more lights which is also driving up our utility bills. If you are anything like me you are you tired of seeing those utility bills creep up every month.
While it may seem like higher utility bills are inevitable during the winter since we need heat and we need lights, there are some easy ways to lessen the blow of the monthly utility bill.
How to lower your electric bill in 7 easy steps:
- Use glass or ceramic baking pans. These types of pans hold heat in better than metal. You still get great tasting dishes, but can lower your oven temperature by 20-25 degrees. This small change can save you some real $$.
- After your first cup or two of coffee, turn off that coffeemaker. Get an insulated carafe and pour the rest of your coffee into that. You are saving electricity now, and keeping your coffee hot for much longer. Also, no need to use the microwave later to heat up a cup.
- Make sure that any unused outlets in your house get plugged. Just buy the safety outlet plugs and stop cold air from seeping into your house.
- When cooking on the stove, make sure to use lids on your pots. The most important thing to do is fit your pot size to the size of the burner. Using a small burner with a big pot is not efficient and vice-versa.
- Leave room in the front of your refrigerator and freezer to allow for better air circulation. This allows the appliance to work more efficiently, saving energy and reducing costs. Remember to keep your freezer pretty full, though. If you have a lot of empty space, place water in some containers to fill in the gaps.
- Read your washer and laundry detergent instructions. Use the correct amount of laundry detergent in a load so your washer doesn’t have to work so hard. Less work = less energy and more savings.
- Have a fun ‘No Electricity” night. Have a bonfire, or use the fire pit to cook dinner or treats. Use candles or flashlights indoors and have a game night. If you have a fireplace, snuggle up with blankets or sleeping bags and “camp” overnight. On cold nights we often use our wood burning fireplace to warm up the living areas of our house. It is warm and cozy and it keeps the heat from kicking on repeatedly.
You can also call your utility providers and see if they charge less during ‘off peak’ hours. Using energy-sucking appliances during those hours will add to your savings. If you want to make a dent in your utility bills, try some (or all!) of these easy tips.
You are just one step away from making a difference!
Click here for even more Ways to Save!
These are some great ideas! I think my kids will love the “no energy night”! Thanks for the tips! Definitely pinning this!
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Great tips. And you prove with #7 saving money doesn’t have to be boring.
Exactly! It can be fun AND you can get the whole family involved! Thanks for stopping by!
Popping over from Teach Me Tuesday =) I never thought of turning off the coffee pot! I try to keep as many lights off as possible during the winter months. Can’t complain to much though… we chose to have 3 tropical fish tanks up and running. Be sure to share your crafts & DIYs at Two Uses Tuesday (Mon 11pm EST to Fri 11pm EST) over at Sarah Celebrates if you don’t already!
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Good advice! A couple of other things I have found to be helpful are:
1. Do laundry back to back… putting wet clothes in the dryer immediately when it stops means it is already heated up from the last load…saves a little.
2. Clump baking together… same principle as above… the oven is already hot, so put something else in it rather that heating it up later to bake cookies or something. We do a lot of baking here. 🙂
Thank you for your post.
Great post! Followed you over here from Titus 2 Tuesday. I would add: get an energy audit of your house. Depending on what state you live in, you might be able to have someone come out for free, using a heat-reader to see where heat is leaking out from your house.
Great ideas! I think we can all use more ways to save money on utilities. Thanks for sharing!
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Interesting ideas! I hadn’t really thought of the cooking related ones; I will have to try it…starting tonight!
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Great ideas! My husband has spent weeks sealing up drafts and air leaks in our house. It’s really adding up.
These are great tips. I had no idea electric plugs let in drafts… good to know!
These were terrific tips on how to save money on the electric bill. Here in the desert this time of year is great for our electric bills but in the summer it’s one piece of mail I dread to see! One thing I have discovered is that leaving things plugged into outlets still uses some electricity so I unplug just about everything. It drives my family nuts but saves us money. I actually noticed a difference from one bill to the next.
Thank you for sharing the recipe on the SHINE Blog Hop!
Wishing you a fabulous weekend!
Much love,
Lysa xx
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These are such great and practical tips to help save money. Anyone can do them!
I love a no electricity night.
Sad to admit, but I don’t think I’ve ever even thought about any of these–but after this month’s electricity bill, I’m going to give them a try!
I didn’t realize there was a difference between glass and metal pans!
Great tips for saving electricity, Megan. My kids are notorious for leaving things plugged in the wall.
Thanks Jen!
Love your tip on plugging up outlets. We have one outlet that you can feel the cold air blow through. Congrats, you’re featured this week on the This Is How We Roll link party on Organized 31.
My husband shut off the coffee pot after 2-3 cups but then he uses the microwave, we have two thermoses and he is always trying to cut down on the bill, I’ll have to bring this one up to him, we used to own a carafe years ago for his coffee, just never replaced it.
I have a hard time with #4 I’ve been trying to do better with that one. I also have a hard time shutting off the oven when I’m done with it :o(
I’ve been meaning to check on the off peak hours, I keep forgetting.
Great article … Thanks
~Geri
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