Tips to save money on your electricity bill.

With a recent thirty percent increase in my local electricity rates I have been looking at ways to save money on my power bill. Being the sharer that I am here are a few tips on how you can save money on your electricity charges.

Of course if I lived any where else in this fine country I would be able to go to a comparison website to compare electricity rates and see if there was another local electricity company that could offer me a better deal, but alas that luxury is not available when there is but one electricity company in town. 

Mind you even when there is a choice of provider there is nothing wrong with cutting back where you can. Here are a few simple tips I am planning to take up to save money on my future electricity bills.

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Unplug all appliances at the wall when not in use. 

You know that little red light you see at the bottom of your TV when it is not in use? You would be surprised at how much power all those little lights around your home can use. Sure not having the clock set on the DVD player might be an inconvenience at times but if it saves money throughout the year then it is well worth the inconvenience I say.

Appliances don't need lights. Neither do empty rooms

There is no need to have lights on if there is no one in the room. Even if you have the lowest wattage lights and all that jazz. If it's not in use, turn it off. Which I know is really just common sense but when you have kids common sense isn't always around. Children are our future and the sooner we drum these simple ways of life into them the better.

Fans cool people not rooms. 

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As a tropical living girl, all our rooms have fans. Only that doesn't mean that they need to be on if we are not in the room. I imagine that for those in cooler climates the same can be said about the heater. While on the topic of heaters, it is best if they are not placed in front of windows and all doors, windows and curtains are closed when the heater is in use. It makes it easier to trap the heat within and keep the cold out. Air conditioners also work best when rooms are closed up and draught stoppers should be on every door.

While we are blessed with air conditioners in the bedrooms we have decided that they are now just there for decoration. It won't be too long till the weather changes and things cool down any way, but till then we are just going to tough it out. At least that is the plan. If however that plan crumbles we will only turn it half hour before bed and have a timer turn it off after a few hours. Rather than have it set at arctic temperatures the thermostat will be locked in at 24 degrees. This means that the system will not have to work as hard and thereby not use as much power.

Wash full loads. In cold water.

Be it the dishwasher or the washing machine it doesn't matter. Using cold water saves electricity. Most dishwashers internal heating systems for heating the water, which is much more effective than getting it from the hot tap. And really it is just common sense to wait for full loads before putting either machine on.

As much as I love my great big top loader there is a part of me that is waiting for it to pass away. It is nearly seven years old so I am sure there are much more electricity friendly models out there as front loaders use less power I want to update. 

Harness the power of the sun.

Thankfully we already have solar hot water. And I love it. So much so that I am now looking into getting more solar panels to subsidise the electricity. My friend cleverly had almost their whole roof covered with solar panels which have cut her electricity bill by a third. A third I tell you. Amazing and definitely worth looking into.

Saving electricity is easier than you may think and is really all about making a few simple lifestyle changes. Ones that in the long run will not only save you some cash but also go towards helping the environment. For more tips on how to save on your power bill check out here and here

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