Unplug Unused Electronics Unplugging electronics when they are not in use can drastically reduce your electric bill. Many devices, such as computers and televisions, still draw power even when they are turned off, so unplugging them can make a big difference in your energy costs.
What costs the most on your electric bill? Heating and cooling are by far the greatest energy users in the home, making up around 40% of your electric bill. Other big users are washers, dryers, ovens, and stoves. Electronic devices like laptops and TVs are usually pretty cheap to run, but of course, it can all add up.
Give your thermostat a nudge
This one is easy. To save money, set your thermostat down or up 7 to 10 degrees (depending on the season) when you're asleep or away from home. Doing so for eight hours can lower your annual heating and cooling costs by around 10%. A programmable thermostat does the work for you.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, standby power accounts for as much as 5% to 10% of residential energy use, and homeowners could save $100 to $200 each year on utility bills by unplugging devices that aren't in use.
Heating and cooling: 45-50%
The largest electricity consumer in the average household is your heating and cooling appliance. By a long shot. Central air conditioners and heaters use tons of energy in order to keep your home set to the right temperature.
The Givoni or Woods diagrams show a direct relationship between air speed and the drop in temperature felt by users of the room. In this case, a ceiling fan will consume between 20 and 50 watts (still a long way from the consumption of an air-conditioning system (800 to 1500 watts, i.e. 30 to 40 times more).
Unplug Unused Electronics
Unplugging electronics when they are not in use can drastically reduce your electric bill. Many devices, such as computers and televisions, still draw power even when they are turned off, so unplugging them can make a big difference in your energy costs.
So if you still find your electric bill increasing, there may be issues you need to address in your own home. The most common contributing factors are outdated appliances, thermostats, lightbulbs, or insufficient insulation. Here's what you can do to help reduce your household energy usage.
Keep for a year or less – unless you are deducting an expense on your tax return: Monthly utility/cable/phone bills: Discard these once you know everything is correct. Credit card statements: Just like your monthly bills, you can discard these once you know everything is correct.
If you want to test how much power your appliances and devices are using in standby mode, you can buy an electricity usage monitor device. These devices allow you to plug in various tech or appliances and check how much power they're actually using, even in standby mode.
Generally, TVs use between 50 to 200 watts (W) of electricity, depending on the model. Most TVs use less than one amp and connect to a 120-volt outlet. Older TVs that use technology such as Plasma and CRT are much less efficient compared to newer LED and LCD TVs.
Set your thermostat to 78 degrees.
According to the Edison Electric Institute, raising your thermostat by just one degree in the summer will decrease your electric bill by 2 percent. So, when it's in the triple digits outside, setting your thermostat to 78 degrees offers a respite from the heat.
One simple way to decrease energy costs is having a higher temperature setting on the thermostat when nobody is home. While you might be tempted to simply turn the AC off, it's actually better to adjust the temperature several degrees higher, by about 7-10 degrees.
The average cost to run a ceiling fan is $0.07 to $0.18 per day or $2 to $5 per month with 8 to 12 hours of daily usage. Pairing a ceiling fan with air conditioning can help lower utility bills by allowing higher thermostat settings while still keeping you cool and comfortable.
Washing machines use 500 to 1,400 W (0.5 to 1.4 kW) of power at any one time, meaning most batteries will be suitable on their own for backing up your washing machine. How many solar panels does it take to run a washing machine? Average washing machines use between 400 and 1,400 W of electricity to stay powered.
Room air cleaners are portable, electric appliances that remove fine particles, such as dust and pollen, from indoor air. A standard room air cleaner, operating continuously, uses approximately 450 kWh per year in electricity. This is more than the energy used by some new refrigerators!
Be More Efficient
You will find that your electric heat, air conditioner and water heater will typically make up the greatest percentage of your electric bill, so these are the areas in which you may want to concentrate your energy management efforts.