How to Save On an Electric Bill [Via Laundry, Dishwasher…]

Self-quarantining has shown us all how using lights and other electrical devices at full capacity can push up our electrical bills. Making a few small changes in your routine can help you save hundreds of dollars every year on electricity.
In this article, we’ll share some tips and tricks on how to save on an electric bill by making small adjustments around the house. We’ll give you all the must-have information related to the sparing use of electricity.

How to Save on an Electric Bill

There are many different electrical appliances and devices in and around the house that are responsible for the total sum of your electrical bill. Lowering your monthly electricity costs will require an adjustment on the usage of electricity all around the house including in the kitchen, the laundry room, etc. But lowering your electricity usage has many benefits – from saving money to helping you build your credit when you want to report changes on your expenses to the credit bureaus.

Families who live in larger homes will naturally use more energy than those living in one-bedroom apartments. Here are a few ways to save on an electric bill by applying some small changes, no matter what’s the size of your house.

Kitchen

The kitchen is probably the area with the most electrical appliances for cooking and cleaning. Here are a few tips on saving electricity in the kitchen:

Use a Dishwasher Instead of Handwashing

You can save up to 5,000 gallons of water per year if you switch from washing dishes by hand to using a dishwasher. You’ll save not only on water but on water heating as well. Washing dishes usually requires hot water; instead of washing small loads of dishes and filling up the sink every time with warm water, your dishwasher uses 9 times less hot water to wash one big load at a time.

Use a Dishwasher at Night 

When you use electric appliances during the day it adds to the energy demand. Instead of using your dishwasher during peak hours, rather put it on during the night. You can further reduce electricity usage by turning off the heat dry setting and allowing your dishes to dry naturally. Heat drying causes 15% more energy usage.

Use a Dishwasher When It Is Full

Another tip for reducing electricity bills is to pack your dishwasher to its full capacity. Only running your dishwasher when it is full will save energy, money, and water because you’ll use it fewer times.

Don’t Open the Oven Door While Cooking

Every time you open the oven door you reduce the temperature inside by as much as 25 degrees. This forces your oven to work even harder to get back to the right heating and cooking temperature. Instead, use the oven window to check whether your food is ready.

Use Pots With Lids

Pots with lids can cut the cooking time in half resulting ultimately in a lower heating cost. You won’t lose any heat as lids keep water vapor and warmth inside the pot.

Reduce Heat in the Kitchen

During the summer, it will be easy to minimize heat in the kitchen by opting for smoothies, salads, or barbecuing outside. This will result in you not having to switch on the HVAC system inside for cooling, ultimately reducing electricity bill costs.

Use the Microwave

Instead of heating your food in the oven, use a toaster oven, microwave, or slow cooker. 

Adjust Your Refrigerator’s Temperature

Set your fridge’s thermostat to a power-saving mode of between 36-38 degrees Fahrenheit – anything lower than that is unnecessary. By raising the fridge temperature you can save a lot of money. The freezer compartment can be set between 0 and -5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Laundry

Doing laundry has a huge impact on the total electric bill costs, sometimes spiking beyond your budget. This in turn can cause late payments, which ultimately affect your credit score. Here are some tips on how to save money on power bill costs when doing laundry.

Do the Laundry at Night

In the same way, you put the dishwasher on at night to avoid peak hours, do your laundry at night, too.

Wash Your Clothes in Cold Water

Technological advances in newer washing machine models make the cleaning of clothes with cold water just as effective as when using hot water. Hot water usage on a regular basis, especially in families with never-ending loads of washing, can increase your electricity bill costs tremendously. Switching to a cold water detergent will ensure that your clothes are just as sparkling clean as they would be if you washed with hot water, while your bills are lower, too.

Air-Dry Clothes

Air-drying your clothes is one of the best ways to save money on electric bill costs. Quickly drying items should be air-dried on a drying rack or washing line.

Use Dryer Balls for Bigger Items

If you have to use a dryer on bigger items, use dryer balls. This nifty device speeds up the drying process by putting wet clothing in contact with hot air created in the chamber.

Upgrade Your Laundry Room

Older washing machines aren’t as energy efficient as newer models. Consider upgrading to A or A+ Energy Star estimate models to save up to $190 per year on an appliance. For those monitoring their own credit by keeping track of their income-to-expense ratio, this is a long-term solution on how to reduce electric bill costs to stay on track with your budget.

Cut Loads and Fill Up

Try to cut at least one load of washing every week and only wash when your washing machine is at least ¾ full.
DID YOU KNOW: Line drying your clothes can save up to $1.08 per load in dryer costs.

Key Takeaways

Power and Lighting

If you’re wondering how to save on electric bill costs, you have to start by making small changes to power and lighting in and outside of your home. Here are a few tips:

Use LED Bulbs

Instead of using regular light bulbs (also called incandescent bulbs), switch to LEDs. LEDs minimize power usage by up to 80%. Even though an LED light costs $5 compared to an incandescent bulb’s cost of $1, it uses 212.5 kWh over 25,000 hours compared to an incandescent bulb’s 1500 kWh of electricity. To generate 25,000 hours of light you’ll need only 1 LED light bulb compared to 21 incandescent bulbs – saving you money in the long run.

Turn Off Lights and Unplug

One of the primary tips on how to lower electric bill costs is to switch off the house lights when you aren’t using them. Also, unplug appliances and devices that you aren’t using at the moment. Even if the devices aren’t switched on, they still draw power when plugged in. This is known as standby power and it accounts for 10% of an average household’s yearly electricity use.

Use Natural Lighting and Heat

Make sure that your windows are clean during the winter to allow natural sunlight to enter the home. This will save money on using heating systems throughout the entire day.

Table Lamps for the Win

Another great way on how to save on electricity is to switch off the ceiling lights and use table lamps, desk lights, or task lights. These smaller lamps usually draw much less electricity than the larger ceiling lights. Another alternative lighting can include under-counter lights in hobby areas or track lighting.

Switch to Solar Lighting

Especially for those living in sunny areas, switching to solar lighting for the outdoors is a great solution that will help you lower your electricity bill costs. By utilizing solar energy, you drastically minimize the use of electricity.

Use Shading and Sunlight Blockers

During summertime, consider installing window shades or window coverings to block out the sunlight. This will keep the heat outside of the home and reduce the use of your air conditioning system. An alternate tip for saving electricity is for homeowners to put plants outside of their windows. This will allow for cool and fresh ventilation throughout the home.

Install Efficient Showerheads

Invest in a water-efficient showerhead that will help you save both water and energy. You’ll be surprised how much you’ll save on your electric bill when you make this adjustment.

Motion Detectors

Motion sensor light bulbs switch on when they detect someone in the room and they switch off when you leave. This is a great power-saving solution if you have family members who have a bad habit of leaving the lights on.

Install Ceiling Fans 

Instead of using an AC, opt for a ceiling fan installation. Cooling costs can skyrocket when the air conditioning system is constantly running.

Fix the Faucets

Also, remember to replace any faulty faucet aerators. It helps you use 40% less water.

Program Your Thermostat

There are many convenient thermostat programs available that allow you to control HVAC system temperatures from your mobile device. Use your phone to adjust the temperatures throughout your home to save on costs. These programs come in handy when you’ve forgotten to switch off the heating or cooling systems at home and only remember about it when you are already at work.

Don’t Use a Second Fridge

It’s much more energy efficient to only have one refrigerator in your home. Even though it is nice to have a second fridge if you can go without it – do so! Unplugging your second fridge can save you up to $55 per year.

Switch to a Laptop

One of the best electricity-saving tips is to switch from a desktop computer to a laptop. Desktop computers use much more power than a laptop. When you switch to a laptop, you save over $4 a year if you use it 2 hours a day. Since many of us use our laptops much more than 2 hours a day – your savings will be even bigger.

Conclusion

The best way to save on electric bill costs is to make many small amendments in your home when it comes to how you use electricity. Changes like air-drying your clothes and dishes, using cold water instead of hot water, and using LED bulbs instead of the regular ones can save you hundreds of dollars every year. Be aware of your power usage habits and you’ll lower your electric bill in no time.