It’s easy to start saving energy and stop wasting money on your energy bills, and if you follow these simple tips you can start today. One of the best ways to reduce the amount of money you spend is by switching your electricity and gas supplier. Have a look at the many comparison websites in existence and you’ll be sure to find yourself the best deal. This may save you a little extra cash, but it’s also important that you actually cut down on the amount of energy you use. Here are five quick and easy tips to help you do just that.
Don’t be on standby
Appliances left on standby make up a huge amount of the energy wasted by homes, so this is one of the quickest and easiest ways to cut down on wasted energy. All it takes is to remember to turn the TV off properly when you go up to bed and before you know it you’ll be cutting down on the energy you waste.
Turn off your clothes dryer
Household appliances that give off heat – such as clothes dryers – use huge amounts of electricity. To cut down on this you should always try and hang your clothes out to dry whenever you can. Simply turning off the dryer and drying clothes outside is a 100% energy saving solution.
Get energy efficient lighting
In most homes, lighting accounts for 10 to 15% of the electricity bill. There is such a quick and easy solution to this – simply replace these with low energy and energy saving light bulbs. You’ll be amazed at the amount of energy you’ll be saving. In most instances this can be as much as 80% of the energy of normal bulbs. If you’re cutting the amount of energy used by this much, just think what this will do for your bills.
Start thinking of jobs at home
One of the most frustrating and messy jobs at home is defrosting your refrigerator and freezer, but it’s also one of the best things to do to save money in your home. Doing this regularly will mean that your appliances aren’t working overtime and are just using the right amount of energy to do their jobs. You can also purchase a special plug which will help the appliances run more economically by adjusting the electricity supply according to the motor’s needs. This will also mean that they become kinder to the environment.
Heat water on the stove
When boiling water it’s more energy efficient to heat it on the stove than using a kettle. This may sound like too much hassle, but often it’s actually quicker to do this than to use a kettle. So get rid of energy zapping appliances and get back to basics and you’ll be sure to notice a change.
Have you already implemented these energy saving strategies?
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This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Ever since I can remember my mother has saved money on laundry by drying our clothes on clotheslines, which are making a comeback among people who want to be green. Once strung up, these simple and electricity-free devices are not always welcomed.
A couple days ago, I read a story from NPR of a New Hampshire activist fighting for his right to use a clothesline. A Google search quickly revealed an array of similar stories. It seems that many communities do not want to see clotheslines in their neighborhoods because they consider them an eyesore. I understand that many do not want to see their neighbor’s skivvies hanging out to dry, but there are ways to be discreet. I use the shower rod instead of leaving my damp clothes outside. You can also get a low-cost drying rack that folds up into tight spaces.
To someone who grew up with clotheslines it is difficult to understand what the big deal is all about. An opponent of clotheslines is quoted in a story from the Richmond Times-Dispatch as saying that clotheslines give an atmosphere of decline and a sense that one is not in a well-off neighborhood.
It maybe the nostalgia in me speaking, but I do not see how a clothesline makes a neighborhood’s status change. Electricity is one of the biggest home expenses that can easily be subsided with a rope and clothes pins, so why not use it?
