Making adjustments to your electricity bill is a great way to save money in a consistent and effortless way. And the good news is there are hundreds of ways to save money on your electricity bill in Texas. Your bill doesn’t have to go through the roof every month, so we have a few suggestions to help you save without sacrificing your comforts.
Heating and Cooling
Heating and Cooling can be the biggest culprits behind hefty utility bills. They also double as a great place to start for reducing your energy bill.
- Check your seals on doors, windows, and appliances: Faulty seals not only allow energy to seep out but drains your wallet in the process. Making sure your fridge and freezer gaskets are sealed is a relatively easy process and can be done by any homeowner.
- Lower your thermostat: Setting your thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees when you are either away from home or asleep can do wonders in the saving money arena. Doing this for at least 8 hours can potentially lower your annual heating and cooling costs up to 10%. You can also purchase a programmable thermostat to help with this process.
- Adjust your fridge and freezer temperatures: If you set your fridge to 38 degrees and your freezer between 0 and 5 degrees this will keep your food fresh while still saving energy.
Water
According to the Energy Department, hot water is the second-largest expense in powering homes in Texas. Cutting back on your hot water usage be it in the shower, laundry, or dishwasher can prove helpful when saving money.
- Take shorter showers: Reducing the amount of time you spend in the shower can save gallons of water. In fact, the average 10 minutes shower uses 18 gallons of water. Taking a shorter and even colder shower can save both water and energy (and we hear is even better for your skin).
- Replace your showerhead: Investing in an efficient showerhead can reduce your water usage by 2,700 gallons a year. The standard showerhead uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute (gpm). Find a showerhead with a WaterSense label which is certified to meet efficiency criteria set by the Environmental Protection Agency and will use no more than 2.0 gpm.
- Adjust the temperature on your water heater: The default temperature setting on water heaters is usually 140 degrees. If you lower the temperature to 120 degrees you can reduce your costs up to 10%. Also, if you decided to skip town for a few days you can turn your water heater to the lowest setting to conserve energy usage.
Power & Lighting
Roughly 11% of your home’s energy usage comes from keeping the lights and electronics on. You can follow these steps to cut back on your electricity bill.
- Swap out your lightbulbs: You can potentially save up to $75 a year by swapping out the bulbs in your five most-used light fixtures. We recommend finding LED bulbs with the Energy Star label.
- Install dimmer switches: Modern dimmers not only save on energy but also extend the life of your lightbulbs.
- Use smart power strips: Most electronics never fully power off, but sit in a stand-by mode using small amounts of power that add up over time. Plugging in these electronics into a smart power strip can cut off the currents when the devices aren’t in use.
Next to these pro tips, you can also save money on your electricity with micro moves, such as:
- Raising your refrigerator temperature
- Turning off/unplugging your coffee maker
- Using your dishwasher instead of handwashing
- Keeping your fridge/freezer full
- Washing your clothes in cold water
- Doing laundry at night
For beginner electricity bill savers, simple changes like those listed above can help with lowering your electricity bill.