Save on Your Electric Bill with these Household Appliance Tips

Enjoying the comforts of home comes with a price and sometimes, the price is too high when you receive your monthly electrical bill. This surge in your electric bill probably comes from irresponsible usage of certain household appliances that consume too much power in the first place. If you would like to save on your electric bill, you need to identify these appliances and know how to use them wisely.

Refrigerator

Appliances that consume a lot of energy are the ones used for days or are left running indefinitely, like refrigerators and freezers. It is said that the refrigerator is the top energy-consuming kitchen appliance in a typical U.S. household. Granted, the refrigerator should be running twenty four hours a day, seven days a week because this is where you store the food that your family eats. Nevertheless, you can still employ energy-saving practices to lower your power consumption.

• Check the thermostat settings of the fridge and freezer. Make sure that they are within the normal range. Check your user manual for reference.
• If you see frost or ice buildup on your freezer, defrost it. This buildup will cause your unit to work harder and consume more electricity.
• Avoid leaving the door open for too long because you are allowing the cold air to escape.

Water Heater

Hot water has many applications in a household. Aside from baths and showers, hot water is also used for doing the laundry and washing the dishes. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the average U.S. household uses about 400 kWh of energy for water heating alone. You can lessen this by using your water heater more efficiently:

• Just like with the refrigerator, check the thermostat settings of your water heater and make sure that it is set according to your needs.
• If you have a hot water storage tank, use insulation to keep it warm and heat is not lost when the hot water travels from the tank to the faucet.
• Avoid taking long showers and use cold water for cleaning.
• Make sure that your water heater is properly maintained.

Cooling and Heating System

The summers are getting hotter and the winters are getting harsher because of climate change. It is known that air conditioning is one of the most power-hungry appliances in a household and yet it is also a necessity. This is also the case for heating systems. Unfortunately, these appliances eat a huge chunk on your electrical consumption which result to high electric bills. Here are some tips in using them more efficiently:

• Install a timer on your cooling and heating system so they are not powered on all the time.
• Have regular maintenance checkups on your heating and air conditioning systems to make sure they are in proper working order. .
• Keep the vents and air ducts clean.
• Turn heating and/or air conditioning off when away on vacation. If you fear freezing pipes set the temperature accordingly.

Other Culprits

Other appliances that consume a lot of energy include your microwave oven, flat iron, and television sets. Some of them are used only for a few minutes at a time while others are turned on for hours. Here are some tips on keeping their energy consumption low:

• Avoid heating food in your microwave that came straight from the fridge. Longer heating time means more power consumption.
• Use the flat iron only once a week and avoid using it when other appliances are in use. Unplug it after use.
• If you have an old television set that uses cathode ray tubes, replace it with a LCD or LED unit; also keep in mind that the smaller the television, the less electricity it needs.
• Unplug any unneeded electrical devices when not in use. You can make this easier by plugging multiple devices into a surge protector. When you are using them, just switch off the surge protector.

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Ericka wrote article above she enjoys writing regular content for www.steelbuildingsdesign.co.uk a UK company who specialise in steel buildings in the UK.

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