Money Saving Talk

How to cut down electricity bill in Summer months

The costs of running air conditioning in the summer months can be as much as half of your monthly electric bill. To cut down the cost, you need to budget your air conditioning usage.

1. Never leave the air on when you leave the house. Why run it when nobody is at home?

2. Make sure air is well circulated in your house. Install fans and ceiling fans in the rooms that you spend most time in such as living room and bedrooms. The electricity used by fans are far less than air conditioning units.

3. If you live in a hot climate, be sure the house in well insulated. Check your windows and doors.

4. Use energy saving light bulbs and air conditioning units. Replace them if you can.

By investing in energy saving devices, you can save money in the long run.

Tags: cut down electricity bill in Summer months, Electronics Saving Tips, energy saving, frugal living

Home Electronics Saving Tips

• Look for energy-saving ENERGY STAR labeled home electronics.
• Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These “phantom” loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. These phantom loads can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.
• Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
• Studies have shown that using rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and PDAs is more cost effective than throwaway batteries. If you must use throaways, check with your trash removal company about safe disposal options.

Source: EERE, U.S. Department of Energy

Tags: Electronics Saving Tips, energy saving, home office saving