One of the major reasons for your high energy bills is careless consumption habits and neglecting energy efficiency. From microwaves to air conditioners, every household uses a number of appliances on a daily basis. By making some simple changes to your usage practices and optimizing appliances, you can enjoy greater energy savings. And here are some easy ways you can achieve that.
1. Run Full Loads
From throwing a few clothes in the washing machine or running the dishwasher for a couple of dishes, stop using high energy consuming appliances for partial loads. In addition to wasting electricity, you’re also wasting gallons and gallons of water. So, make it a habit to run such appliances when you have a full load.
2. Clean Air Filters
Air filters tend to get clogged up with dust and other pollutants. This not only forces your air conditioner to work harder but may even compromise the air quality. Remember to regularly clean the air filters and replace them every year.
3. Vacuum Refrigerator Coils
Dirty condenser coils will make the compressor overheat. Cleaning refrigerator coils is necessary to help your appliance run smoothly and maintain the necessary temperature. You should vacuum refrigerator coils every six months to a year.
4. Replace Loose Seals
A loose or broken refrigerator seal will cause cool air to escape, leading to ineffective refrigeration. Make sure your refrigerator door is sealed properly and replace it if required.
5. Empty Lint Trap
Emptying the lint trap is crucial to ensure your dryer works optimally. Cleaning the lint trap also prolongs the life of your dryer as well as help in lowering energy bills. This is also necessary to prevent fire hazards. You should ideally wipe the lint trap after every load of laundry.
6. Regularly Clean Microwave
A microwave is a must-have appliance in every kitchen. It gets the job done without using too much energy. For instance, instead of boiling water on the stove, you can do it a lot faster using a microwave.
To ensure your microwave works efficiently, you should regularly clean it, especially after messy spills.
7. Multi-Task
Are you preheating the oven for a significant amount of time? Rather than just cooking the meal you were preheating the oven for, use this opportunity to prepare other things. Since the oven is already heated, you can bake or roast things for the next day. This will also prevent your house from heating up two days in a row.
8. Avoid Hot Water
Most of the electricity required to run washing machines is used for heating up the water. It would be best to dial back the temperature and try to wash clothes in cold water whenever you can.
9. Air Dry Clothes
Why even run the dryer to dry clothes when nature will do it for you? If you’re not in a rush, air-dry your clothes to enjoy energy savings.
10. Get HVAC Serviced
Getting your HVAC unit routinely serviced is essential to keep it working efficiently. Consult a professional to service your HVAC unit at least twice a year, once before winter and other before summer.
11. Replace Old Appliances
Timely and proper maintenance can certainly prolong the life of your appliances. But it’s important to realize when an appliance is no longer performing efficiently. Outdated appliances will drive up your energy bills and should be replaced with new energy-efficient models.
The Bottom LineIn addition to investing in energy-efficient appliances, keeping up with routine servicing and cleaning is crucial to prevent energy loss and increase energy savings. If your electricity bills are high despite lowering consumption, it’s a good idea to compare electricity plans and switch to a provider offering competitively priced plans.