Whatever you pay for electricity each month, you probably wouldn’t mind shaving off a few bucks. In fact, you may already be working towards that goal by doing things like turning lights off in unoccupied rooms, adjusting the thermostat by a degree or two, and sealing drafty windows and doors.

Energy savings don’t stop there. Read on to learn how to be a savvier electricity consumer with more savings to show for your efforts.  

Know how to read your bill. The first step to lowering your electric bill is understanding it. Each month you’ll see standard charges for being connected to the grid as well as added taxes and surcharges that can vary from month to month. Then there’s the usage amount. If you’re not pleased with what you see, call to find out if there are ways to save you weren’t aware of.  

Monitor household usage. Find out which electronics, appliances, and systems are the biggest energy hogs. For example, heating and cooling systems, water heaters, plus clothes washers and dryers are some of the worst culprits. To cut their usage down to size, use a smart plug to monitor anything that plugs in and find out what it’s costing you.  

Run larger appliances at night. Many utility companies charge more for daytime – or peak time – electricity usage. Check with your provider to see if they offer discounted off-peak rates. If so, hold off on doing the laundry or running the dishwasher until nighttime. 

Be smart about your appliances. In addition to running them during off-peak hours, consider changing how you run appliances. For example, wash laundry in cold water, hang laundry out to dry instead of tossing it in the dryer, run only full loads in the dishwasher and skip the heated-dry function; simply open the door once the wash cycle is complete, slide the racks out a bit, and let the dishes air dry. This also adds a little moisture to the air, a bonus during the winter months. 

Run your refrigerator at max efficiency. Set the fridge temp to 37°F and the freezer to 0°F (lower temps serve only to waste electricity). Clean the coils at least four times a year. Don’t store items on top of the fridge as that can prevent hot air from escaping, causing the appliance to work harder. And keep the interior of the fridge no more than 75% full to allow cold air to circulate properly.

Take control of your lighting. In addition to keeping lights off in unused rooms, transition to LED light bulbs and you’ll see about a 75% reduction in lighting energy use compared to incandescent bulbs. Consider smart LEDs that allow you to control lighting via a smartphone or tablet.

Check your home’s insulation and add more if necessary. One of the biggest sources of heat loss (or cool air in the summer) is a lack of adequate attic insulation. It is recommended that an attic have 10 to 14 inches of insulation, depending on the type.

There’s a lot we can do to help you save on electricity, too. A whole-house lighting system, for example, will greatly cut down on the amount of time lights are left on when they serve no purpose. You also can save a bunch by replacing overhead lights in certain rooms with cannister-type LED lighting.  And that’s just for starters. For real solutions toward achieving added convenience plus greater energy savings, contact Excel Electric today.