The average American spends between 5 and 10 percent of their monthly income on paying electricity bills. When you think about it, that’s a lot of money. There’s so much that you could do if you had that income for other things. 

 

Fortunately, there are a bunch of smart changes that you can make to lower your electricity bills and make better use of your income. Saving money frees you and your family up to go on more vacations or even upgrade your home. 

 

So what smart changes can you make? Let’s take a look. 

 

Raise Your Refrigerator Temperature

You can try raising the temperature of your refrigerator to save money. Refrigerators don’t need to be between 32 and 34 F all the time to keep food cool. Temperatures of up to 38 F will suffice. Raising the temperature will save you money and shouldn’t make any difference in the freshness of your food. 

 

Turn Off Your Coffee Maker

 

Most coffee makers have “run all-day” features that consume electricity, even while you’re not using them. Make sure that after you make your morning cup of Joe that you switch them off at the wall. This way, you can avoid phantom load from eating up your electricity budget.

 

Cook With Lids On

 

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Your stove requires a lot of energy to run. Whenever you heat a pan, a large portion of the energy that you use escapes into the air. 

 

To avoid this, put lids on all your pans when you cook. You’ll find that they boil faster and that you can run your hob at a lower temperature. 

 

Switch To A Better Energy Scheme

 

In the past, your only option was to sign a contract with a large energy provider generating electricity from traditional sources. But today, that’s no longer the case, thanks to projects like Choosesolar.

 

In many parts of the country, solar is cheaper than traditional sources of energy generation. And so these projects hook people up to renewable electricity generation, saving them money at the same time. 

 

Clean Your Dryer Exhaust

 

Over time, your dryer exhaust becomes engorged with lint from clothing. If you don’t clean it, then it can wind up attracting big globs of lint that prevent the dryer exhaust from working efficiently. Cleaning the exhaust allows it to work more efficiently and reduces the risk of fires. 

 

Dry Your Laundry On The Line

 

If the option is available to you, you can also dry your laundry on the line. This saves you money and prevents you from having to use your dryer at all. 

 

Change To LED Bulbs

 

If you haven’t changed to LED bulbs yet, try doing it now. These lighting options use around 80 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs while generating the same amount of light. 

 

Put Plants Around Your Windows

 

Plants act as excellent natural shades for your home. This means that you can use them to keep your house cool during hot weather. They also look great too, helping to improve the atmosphere of your rooms.