How To Save Money On Electricity In Winter

1 Comment

As temperature cool down, the quest to save money on electricity in winter kicks into high gear. With temperatures dropping, energy expenses tend to rise as heaters and lights work overtime. But worry not! This blog unveils actionable strategies to curtail winter electricity costs without sacrificing warmth and comfort. From smart home tweaks to adopting energy-efficient habits, you’ll gain valuable insights to navigate the season while keeping your budget intact.

Woman opening up the curtains to save money on her electricity bill in winter

Use Natural Sunlight – Save Money on Electricity in the Winter

This one is so simple! Use natural sunlight! The sun might be taking shorter shifts, but its power to illuminate your home while keeping it warm is unmatched. Open your curtains during the day and let solar radiation flood your home. In doing so, the sunlight can warm the objects in your home. Then, at night, close the curtains to create insulation and prevent the warmth from radiating away. You should find that this strategy keeps your rooms warmer by a couple of degrees.

Create More Reflective Surfaces

Mirrors aren’t just for checking your winter attire – they can also play a role in optimizing your home’s energy efficiency. Placing mirrors strategically across from windows allows them to bounce natural sunlight deeper into your living spaces, effectively extending the sun’s reach. This brightens up your home naturally and reduces the need for artificial lighting, ultimately helping you save money on electricity in winter. These also bounce light energy back into the interior space, helping it to warm up even more. Mirrors, mirrored furniture, or even foil sheeting for insulation are excellent for this purpose.

A woman replacing a lightbulb to LEDs in her kitchen

Use Energy-Efficient Lighting and Appliances

This tip is generally more for those who have an older home or outdated appliances. Trade your old incandescent bulbs for longer-lasting and energy-saving LED or CFL options. Although they might cost a bit more initially, their reduced energy consumption will translate to noticeable savings on your electricity bill. Additionally, these bulbs emit less heat, reducing the load on your heating system. Brighten up your winter while keeping costs down with these illuminating choices.

Modern appliances are also considerably more cost-effective than older versions. Even some of those produced in the last ten years! Manufacturers have become much better and are creating units that use energy frugally. Similar to upgrading your lightbulbs, it may still cost more upfront. However, you will save money on electricity month after month and year after year!

Save money on your electricity bill in winter by using solar panels

Use Renewable Energy – Save Money on Electricity in the Winter

You can also try investing in renewable energy, even if you live somewhere cold. Temperate regions often have consistent winds, especially near the coast. But even if the weather isn’t hot, you should still consider solar panels. Units work by absorbing light which still hits the Earth even when it’s cold or cloudy outside. 

You can use a solar panels cost calculator to work out how much the installation is likely to cost, and what it could potentially save you. The amount of money you get off can be quite considerable if you get it right. 

Cook More Efficiently

Another good idea is to use your oven’s heat to heat your home. Plan your cooking around the times of day when you need residual heat the most. For instance, start cooking at 6 PM. Then use the heat from your oven to warm up your dining and living areas until 10 PM when you go to sleep. Once you start doing this, you may find that you don’t need to put the heat on as much, if at all. 

Use Ceiling Fans – Save Money on Electricity in the Winter

The idea of using ceiling fans in cold climates sounds a little weird, but it works! Set your fan’s blades to rotate clockwise at a low speed. This simple switch helps push warm air down from the ceiling, evenly distributing heat throughout the room. With this clever move, you’ll stay cozy without maxing out the thermostat. This is a surefire way to save money on electricity during winter.

Final Thoughts

As winter wraps its frosty embrace around us, remember that saving money on electricity doesn’t mean sacrificing comfort. You can lower your bill easily! By embracing these tips and tricks, you can keep both your home and your budget cozy throughout the season.

Energy Saving Tips to Lower Your Bill

1 Comment

Homes are energy hogs. Sadly most are energy intensive and not set up for efficient heating and cooling methods. Although you can upgrade your current home to include more energy efficient features and appliances, that requires a lot of time and money. But there is a better way! You can use multiple energy saving tips to lower your bill that won’t burn a whole in your pocket. So where can you begin?

Service and repair broken appliances

Old, broken, or inadequately maintained appliances will consume more energy to function properly. As such, this puts more pressure on the appliance itself. Not only that, but this energy usage drives up your bills and increases the risk of more damage, or even failure. Carrying out regular service maintenance can minimize damage, lower repair bills, and keep your energy bills down. And it’s a hell of a lot cheaper to schedule regular maintenance than it is to replace an entire appliance because it failed. Things to consider getting checked are:

  • schedule HVAC repairs annually
  • have your dryer vents cleaned periodically
  • get regular roof inspections

These are just a few of the most common things to look out for!

Use Energy Star products – an energy saving tip

Now not every appliance is capable of being salvaged from a repair or regular maintenance. When that happens, you’ll need to invest in something a little more up to date. When you are looking to upgrade your appliances, look for those with the Energy Star Rating. To earn an energy star rating, the appliance must meet a strict set of criteria set out by the US Environmental Protection Agency or the US Department of Energy. This means you can guarantee they are more energy efficient to use, saving you both money and energy!

An easy energy saving tip is to insulate your home and prevent drafts

Insulate your home

You can insulate many parts of your home to help you regulate energy and lower your energy bill. The most common type of insulation is cavity insulation in roofing spaces. While this is a highly effective manner of insulating your home and one of the biggest energy saving tips, it isn’t your only option. You can insulate walls, floors, pipes, tanks, and even ducts. You can also draft-proof windows and doors to eliminate energy, escaping to lower your usage and bills too. A third of your energy is lost through inefficient wall options, so investing in wall insulation can be an excellent investment, along with draft proofing and loft insulation to help you cover as many bases as possible.

Switching to LED Lighting is an easy energy saving tip

Homeowners and renters alike can save over $200 per year by switching from incandescent lighting to energy-saving LED bulbs. LED bulbs are not only better for the environment and consume less energy, but they also last longer. This means you don’t have to worry about replacing them so frequently, making them more economical. For example, the ones that we just switched to in our home are good for 20 years! For someone with tall ceilings like we do, I don’t want to climb up there to constantly change them out. This recommendation is one of the easiest and most common energy saving tip.

Unplugging unused appliances will help you lower your energy bill

Have a “Turn It Off” mindset

If you think that keeping appliances plugged in doesn’t use energy, I’m sorry but you are wrong. Keeping unused appliances plugged in and switched on costs around $165 per year per household. If you find your energy bills are rising and you need to save money and reduce your usage, then ensure all unused outlets are turned off and unused appliances and devices are unplugged. The most common culprit is cell phone chargers. They can commonly be left plugged in and switched on for convenience. Not only does this damage your bank account, but the charger itself.

Lady switching off a light switch as an easy energy saving tip

Use OhmConnect to get rewarded

This tips goes hand in hand with the tip above. There are reward programs for quite literally anything nowadays. Saving energy is no exception to this rule! OhmConnect connects directly to your energy provider, tracks your energy usage, and gives you opportunities through Ohm Hours to get rewarded. Be aware though, not every person has an eligible energy provider to connect.

Ohm Hours happen frequently – especially during the summer. You will be alerted via email and/or text message for these Ohm Hours. In the message, they will tell you the date, time, and how much you could earn by reducing your energy during that time period. You are encouraged to turn off the AC, unplug unused appliances, and use this time to be as off the grid as possible. After a few days, your progress will be recorded and your reward will be given. You can use your rewards to cash out for your favorite brand giftcards or to cash out directly to PayPal. OhmConnect is a great way to save money both by lowering your energy bill and getting rewarded for doing it.

Use these energy saving tips regularly!

To conserve energy and reduce your usage, you can do many different things – from free actions such as turning off appliances to massive home renovations, to updating insulation and buying new appliances. But whatever you do, make sure you are making beneficial changes to see the savings add up!