Who doesn’t like to save on power costs? Although you don’t have control over power supply charges, there may be some things that you can do at home to reduce the cost of your next electrical bill.
Here are some effective techniques to help bring down your power expenses:
Disconnect home appliances from power sources
You may think that turning off appliances is already enough to save on power. However, if these devices are still connected to the power source, it still uses up energy. According to a 2015 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), close to 23 percent of power consumption in homes come from idle load (or electricity drawn by plugged-in appliances in off or standby mode).
In other words, you need to unplug appliances when not in use. For convenience, you may also connect the appliances to a power strip, which you can conveniently shut off as soon as you’re done using it.
Protect your home from the outside elements
Temperature management is one of the biggest consumers of power at home, whether it’s a heater or an air cooler. Managing this will surely lower your electrical bill costs. The easiest way to counter this is by shielding your house from outdoor conditions. These measures may include the following:
- Closing window curtains and blinds to protect against the sun’s heat during summer
- Sealing gaps in windows and doors to protect your indoor temperature during winter
Use natural conditions to your advantage to lower electrical bill costs
On the flip side, you may also maximize what nature has to offer so that you won’t have to use your indoor home appliances. Here are some examples on how to save on power using natural outdoor conditions:
- Opening the curtains in non-harsh weather conditions to allow natural inside the home
- Putting up a clothesline to air-dry your wet clothes outside your house
Perform regular cleaning and maintenance of electrical equipment
HVAC equipment are some of the most used appliances in the house, and it consumes a significant amount of energy. If you fail to conduct maintenance, you may incur higher electricity costs due to overwork of the equipment.
To prevent this from happening, schedule regular maintenance of HVAC systems and other major electrical devices. Maintenance may cost you, but it’s cheaper than a steady and continual increase in power load.
On a final note, you need to have your electrical system checked in case you experience abnormally high power usage or frequent tripping. Call Wire Craft Electric and let us look into your system for any issues.
