Quick & Easy Tips to save Money on your Home Energy Bills

Hopefully you have been enjoying the first few weeks of fall and the cooler temperatures.

Although the cooler temps feel great now, we will  be wearing extra layers and waiting as long as possible to flip the switch to heat, because as soon as we do, our utility bills will for sure go up.

I  thought I would share  a few ways I have found  to cut bills by making small affordable adjustments to our habits.

1. Program the thermostat to go up or down a few degrees when you are not home.
2. Change your air filters.  Dirty filters slow down air flow, making your furnace and AC work harder.  Filters should be changed every 3 months.
3. Flush your hot water heater and insulate it to keep heat from escaping. Minerals and sediment can build up inside your tank. Flushing once or twice a year will allow the water heater to run more efficiently.
4. Install low flow bath fixtures to reduce water usage.
5. Run appliances like, dishwasher, clothes washer & dryer at night.  Electricity doesn’t always cost the same.  Avoiding the use of heavy energy appliances during peak times will help reduce your bill by hundreds of dollars a year.
6. Wash your clothes in cold water, which gets them just as clean and uses half the energy of hot water.
7. Don’t over stuff the dryer. Extra large dryer loads will not save you time and energy. Filling the dryer more than two-thirds full doesn’t leave enough room for the air to circulate, which causes  increased drying time and will make your bill go up.  Use dryer balls in a half full dryer instead of dryer sheets.  The sheets have a film that reduces the efficiency of the dryer, while dryer balls can speed up drying time.
8. More efficient use of the dishwasher, like running it when it is full and at night will definitely save you money. Also, consider letting your dishes air dry,  If your dishwasher does not have an air dry setting, just prop the door open after the final rinse.
9. Replace light bulbs, even if just a few, can be one of the easiest ways to cut down on your electric bill.  LED, CFL, and halogen incandescent bulbs can be a little more expensive, however they are cheaper over the life of the bulb.
10. Plug your electronics into Smart Power Strips. Smart power strips work to reduce your power usage by shutting down power to products that go into standby mode.  If you use a regular power strip, just turn the strips off a night before you go to bed.

If you are ready to find a new home that is more energy efficient, please let us know; we would be happy to assist you in your search!

The RED Team – Kim, Terra & Kiley
Keller Williams Central Oklahoma