10 Ways To Reduce Your Home Electricity Bill

1. Efficient Lighting. Switch your old light bulbs for ENERGY STAR® certified LEDs. Compared to incandescent lighting, ENERGY STAR LEDs use up to 90% less energy, last up to 25 times longer, and save up to $80 in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime.

2. Timers and Occupancy Sensors. You could do a nightly sweep through your home to make sure all your electric devices are turned off before bedtime, or better yet, add timers or occupancy sensors. Lights and electrical appliances, computers, TVs, etc. can shut down automatically and/or turned on, only when a person enters a room.

3. Newer Energy Efficient Appliances. Many state and local governments and utility companies, i.e. PPL offers financial incentives such as rebates, for homeowners to upgrade their appliances to newer, more energy-efficient models. Appliances should make your life easier, not increase your utility bills.

4. Recycle Old Appliances. Some utility companies or government agencies may pay you to recycle your old appliances, or you can donate them to a worthy charity or women’s shelter.

5. Meter Billing. Read your meter and compare it to your bill. Meter readers can and do make mistakes. If the amount on your meter is lower than the one on your bill, then you are being overcharged.

6. New Thermostats. Like most technology, thermostats have changed considerably. Manual thermostats should be replaced with smart, programmable systems that enable a number of cost-saving applications. So, if your home’s thermostat is more than 8-10 years old, it may be time for a replacement. You can even control your baseboard heating with an electric smart thermostat. (Read our blog on home automation) Faulty thermostats will prevent you from getting an accurate temperature read and your system might just run and run.

7. Solar Panels. The sun can supply you with a cheaper and cleaner way to heat your home. Call us about our professional solar panel installation service.

8. Paint Your Roof. For warm climate areas or house with full sun exposure, or do not cool easily by painting your roof white it will save up to 40% less energy for cooling than those with black roofs. Conversely, by painting the roof black you can save money on heating bills.

9. Weatherize Your Home. Even small leaks from windows, doors, and cracks in your home, can have the same effect as leaving a window open year round. Use caulking or expanding foam to seal cracks in and around windows and doorframes, around the basement wall /rim joist, and around the holes in walls where pipes enter and exit your home.

10. Reusable (Permanent) HVAC Filters. If you wait too long to change your filter in your HVAC system it will make it less efficient and costs you more in electricity, not to mention cut down the life of your system. Invest a little more and get a reusable filter that you can easily hose off when it gets clogged with dust and other particles. Then you don’t have to worry about keeping a supply of filters on hand.

Call GC Electric for expert, licensed and insured services: repairs, appliance installations, electrical upgrades, wiring for homes and businesses. In addition, we offer solar and wind energy installations as an alternative and green source of electricity.