Saving money on electricity shouldn’t be tough. There are dozens of things you can do (some more obvious than others) to immediately impact your monthly bill. These will obviously vary from winter to summer depending on the climate, but lets dive right in:
Having a cold house during the winter is a bummer. The best way to naturally supplement your heating is to open south-facing window blinds and curtains. This will create a natural greenhouse effect and you’ll definitely notice your house become slightly warmer throughout the day. Make sure to close the curtains and blinds at night to insulate.
Consider turning down your thermostat 10-15 degrees at night right before you go to bed. Reducing the temperature can slash your monthly electric bill by as much as 20%, and you won’t even notice the different as you sleep. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can set it to kick back up an hour before you wake to make your morning more comfortable.
If you have a fireplace, seal it unless you use it regularly. An open fireplace lets heat escape from your house as if it were an open window. Additionally, consider sealing up windows that may be drafty with a clear plastic film available at most hardware stores.
Turn down your water heater to between 115-125 degrees. Anything hotter is usually scalding anyway, and this will save you up to 25% on your heating bill and you’ll hardly if at all notice a difference.
During the summer, things are obviously much different.
Opposite to winter, keep south-facing windows shaded during the daytime. This will stop the greenhouse effect of hot sunlight pouring into your house all day. Also, installing external blinds can reduce the amount of heat entering your home by a staggering 80%! If there is any one way to save on electricity during the summer, this is it.
Don’t crank up your air conditioning too high. Anything below 70-75 will cost you up to 10% more per degree, and hardly will be noticeable.
Keep a series of fans around the house, promoting air circulation. If your basement is relatively dry, try placing a fan at the doorway to exhaust cold, dry air from the underground to your upstairs. Having even a slight air flow in your house will make it seem 5 degrees cooler, which can have a huge impact on energy savings.