Photo by Taylor Hawke

Easy Ways to Lower Your Electricity Bill

It seems like every mont our Southern California Edison electrict bill in Long Beach, California has doubled.  I started researching how might "we", (the parochial we) reduce our monthly household  utility expense.  I found a great blog, from the Get Rich Slowly written by Apri Dykman called 10 Easy Ways to Lower Your Electricity Bill.  Here are the ideas that we will be implementing in our home. 

Make sure the house is sealed.   Buy caulk and weather-stripping to seal cracks. According to Consumer Reports, sealing leaks can reduce energy costs by 15 to 30%.

Use heat-generating appliances at night.  A hot oven in the heat of the day forces the AC to work harder to keep the house at a comfortable temperature. The same goes for clothes dryers and dishwashers. Use these at night when outside temps are cooler.

Wash laundry with cold water. According to Michael Bluejay, A.K.A. Mr. Electricity, washing clothing in cold water instead of hot can save $152 per year.

Air-dry clothing. If you have the room to spare, you could dry clothing inside on hangers.

Unplug electronics. Don't forget about phone chargers and camera battery chargers. By using power strips, you can shut off electricity to these devices all at once. Consumer Reports also found that you can save $25 to $75 each year just by putting your computer on standby.

Consider your light bulbs. Bluejay says you can turn off lights you aren’t using to save $274 a year; turn off a single 100-watt light bulb from running constantly to save $131 per year; and replace ten 60-watt light bulbs with compact fluorescents to save $123 per year (upfront cost estimate: $32).

Replace air filters monthly. Dirty filters restrict airflow, causing the AC system to run longer and use more energy.