I don’t think it’s too far reached to say that we could all use a couple tips to save on our monthly electricity bill! I know I’m always looking for good ideas, so I thought I’d share some with you with the help of Gulf Electricity!
- Install a programmable thermostat to lower utility bills and manage your heating and cooling systems efficiently. Read about what I use here
- Turn things off when you are not in the room such as lights, TVs, entertainment systems, and your computer and monitor. {Sounds simple right? Then why are all the lights on in my house? Fail!}
- Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use – TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power.
- Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
- Check to see that windows and doors are closed when heating or cooling your home {My husband needs to read this one over and over….and over}
- Install and program your digital thermostat for energy efficiency when you’re not at home. Adjusting the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees when you are not around can save you up to 10 percent annually on your energy bill.
- In summer, running the oven, dishwasher, clothes dryer or any other appliance that generates a great deal of heat midday forces your air conditioner to work harder. Wait for lower evening temperatures to use these appliances.
When I was a little girl my parents were trying to teach my older siblings a lesson. They sat us all around the table and told us how it was wasteful to keep their bedroom lights and radios on when they left for school or were heading to church. They said something to the effect of “Turn your lights and radios off, there’s no need to pay for electricity that we aren’t using.” What I heard: “We are poor, we can’t afford our house and we probably wont ever eat again either.” Needless to say I was pretty young, and I may have been a little dramatic too! For a couple years when they were trying to teach the older kids a lesson about money I didn’t participate. I’m 5 years younger then my next sibling, 10 years younger then the oldest, so that explains a lot. Well hopefully!
So if you feel like your kids are old enough to participate in conserving energy start with these tips from National Geographic:
- Teach your kids to turn off all electronic equipment {i.e. computers, TVs, video games} as soon as they’re done using them, even if they play to return to them later in the day.
- Tell them to turn off lights when no one is in the room. Teach them to make a habit of walking throughout the house every evening to turn off lights that other family members may have left on.
- Teach your children how to save hot water and electricity by taking shorter showers and turning off the water while brushing their teeth, and to remind other family members to do the same.
CONNECTICUT, MAINE AND MASSACHUSETTS READERS
Right now Gulf Electricity is offering my readers a $10 Power Points Card if they enroll in Gulf Electricity. Those who enroll will also receive an extra $25 to the card every 5,000 kilowatt hours they use. The average Gulf Electricity customer will receive $50 in Gulf Cash this year, and that’s in addition to the $10 switching bonus.
If your’e interested go HERE
Do you have any silly, dramatic stories like the one I shared?
Disclaimer: I received a gift card for this post, however all thoughts and opinions are my own
