Every month when my electricity bill from Central Maine Power comes in the mail, I suffer a mild heart attack. I remember the days when my grandfather would talk about his $20 a month bill and here I am getting one for $90-$120. I hate it. But what can I do to lower my bill? Turns out there’s quite a bit people can do to save money on electricity.
A couple of important things to note regarding my bill:
- It’s always higher in the summer months because my kids are home so they don’t turn off lights. I’m constantly doing it for them.
- The TV is constantly on, even if they’re not watching it.
- Fans are always running, morning, noon and night. It would be worse if we had air conditioners.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce your electricity bill, there are a few things that one can do to help.
- If you live in Maine or New Hampshire, you can signup for Electricity Maine. (For those in New Hampshire, there is ENH Power.) EM provides their customers with a lower electricity rate opposed to the company that CMP and BHE use to supply electricity to their customers. (Power is still delivered by CMP & BHE, though.) Signup is free and can be done via their website, over the telelphone at (866) 573-2674 or via fax by filling out an enrollment form and faxing to (207) 777-5566.
- Make sure all cracks around the doors and windows in your house are sealed properly. That may mean you have to buy some caulking and filling in the gaps around your windows and doors or even installing weather stripping.
- Use cold water to wash your clothes unless otherwise specified. Using hot water means your water heater needs to work more, which means more electricity is being used.
- Air-dry your clothes. If you have a clothesline outside, don’t be afraid to use it. Not only are you saving money by not using your dryer, but during the summer, it also means your air conditioner won’t work as hard to cool your house since dryers generate heat.
- Use a slow cooker. They use a lot less power than a stove does. Plus, it’s a time saver. You throw your meal for the day in it and let it go and by the time dinner rolls around, your food is ready to go.
- Unplug your electronics, including battery chargers and phone chargers. Using a power strip only requires the flip of one switch to turn off all appliances.
- If you have an attic, make sure it’s insulated properly. Heat rises, so if you have an attic that’s not insulated, where is your heat going?
- Make sure your water heater is insulated properly.
- Only use your dishwasher when it’s full. Also, allow your dishes to air dry not heat dry. If you have pots and pans that need to be washed, do them by hand. They take up more room in the dishwasher. Save the space available for plates, bowls, eating and cooking utensils and glasses.
- Use Energy Star Appliances. Initially, they may cost more to purchase but the money you save by using them helps in the long run since they are more efficient.
- If you have a toaster oven or microwave, and you’re cooking something small, consider using one of them. You’d be surprised what you can cook in both.
- Close the curtains and blinds on whatever side of the house the sun is on. It blocks the rays from coming in and heating your house up even more during the summer.
- During the winter, put up thicker curtains that you can close to lock the heat in.
- Change the air filters in your air conditioners every month.
- If you’re going to be away from home , turn the AC thermostat up. If possible, use a programmable thermostat, that way you can program it to cool the house off right before you get home and not all day. Why keep it cool when no ones there?
- Use fluorescent lightbulbs. Incandescent use more electricity and don’t last as long. Fluorescent last up to 10x times longer.
Do you have any other tips on how to save money on electricity? Please feel free to leave a comment below with your tips.