It’s possible to spend less money on your bills over the remainder of the summer without sacrificing any of the comfort and convenience you need at home.
Most household bills come from just a couple places in the summer, and it doesn’t take hefty sacrifices to cut these costs.
Follow these tips and keep more money for summer patios and camping weekends with the family.
You can cut up to $100 off your bills next month.
Do you really need a steaming hot shower?
Your water heater is the 2nd largest home comfort expense, after climate control (AC in the summer, furnace in the winter).
Most families keep the water heater thermostat at the same setting year round, paying for the same amount of hot water in the summer as winter, even though most people tend to take cooler showers in the summer.
If you don’t need the hot water to warm you up in the morning, why pay for it? Turn your water heater way down until you need warmer water for showers in the fall.
The cool wash setting on your washing machine is far more efficient than the hot wash (and cold water laundry detergent gets clothes just as clean).
The dishes need hot water, and that’s about it. You can make the dish washer work better with cooler water by rinsing the dishes immediately after eating.
Turn your water heater thermostat way down and cut your water heating expense by half.
Hang the laundry outside
Leave the dryer alone for the summer and hang your laundry under the sun to dry out.
The dryer takes about 45 minutes to get the laundry dry, heats up the house in the process and costs you about $1 in energy use (and likely about $2 in air conditioning energy expense to counter the heat generated).
Your laundry dries in about 2 hours hanging on a line and avoids the expenses of the dryer.
Plus, you get a little sun and fresh air hanging and taking down the laundry.
Update your thermostat
Your old thermostat probably has two settings. On and off.
Modern thermostats have a number of benefits:
- More accurate temperature monitoring means a more balanced temperature in your house.
- Digital scheduling means you can set automatic on and off times.
- Security features so the kids can’t accidentally knock the temperature way down while you’re out.
According to Energy Star, a new thermostat can save you hundreds of dollars per year.
Say goodbye to antique light bulbs
The time of the incandescent light bulb is over. The time of the LED is here!
LED bulbs use less energy and last longer than any other type of light bulb on the market – about 25 times longer.
Replacing 20 bulbs can save you about $70 per year, and you won’t have to replace them again for a long, long time.
Cook on the BBQ.
Cooking on the stove or in the oven bumps the temperature in and around your kitchen up by 5+ degrees and most people turn up the air conditioner to counteract the stuffiness.
Cooking outside gets you that vitamin D from the sun, keeps the house cool and makes meal prep a more social family experience.
You don’t get to cook under the sun all year long, so take advantage of the good weather while you can.
If you want to save even more, consider ditching your water tank rental company and purchasing your own.
You can call us any time to talk about your interest in buying a new water tank or reservations about it. We never pressure customers to buy anything.
