How to Save Money on Your Utility Bill

Utility costs are skyrocketing in many areas of the country.  Personally for my family, we have experienced increased costs since the recent state enforced caps were removed.  There was even talk of allowing the companies further increases particularly targeted at small businesses in Ohio.  Thankfully, that did not continue with the public outcry.  So what are some practical ways you can save money on your utility bill with these ever increasing costs?

Turn off things that require electricity

Begin by turning off everything that you do not need running.  Only have on the lights in the room you are in unless absolutely needed on elsewhere such as a security light.  This also includes clocks, computers, etc as while they do not eat up a lot of electricity, every bit counts!

Program your heating and cooling system

Use a heating and cooling system with a timer aka a programmable thermometer.  This will allow you to set up a program that follows your schedule.  If you are not home during certain periods, you can allow the house to be cooler or warmer than you personally like it and let it run only once to cool it back down or heat it back up to be comfortable when you arrive home versus running multiple times while you are gone.

Shop around

Price shop.  Many companies allow you to choose your provider.  That means that while one company owns the lines and provides the delivery, there can be a few companies to choose from that actually generate your utilities.  This is particularly true with natural gas and electricity.  I was able to cut about ⅓ off our natural gas bill a few years ago using this procedure.

Look for discounts

Ask what discounts you could qualify for.  Companies offer discounts depending on certain criteria, but they often do not tell you about them unless you ask.  Since we live in a state where most people have natural gas for heating and electricity as well, we were able to get a discount for being an all electric home.  As a result, we pay less on our electric bill than most people do for both their electricity and their gas combine even though we were told natural gas is used because it is “cheaper.”  We also have a warmer house!

Get creative

Get creative and combine uses!  If I need to look up something on the computer, and it is just one item, I will write it down.  I make myself a list of various items to do on the computer and do them all in one sitting.  This not only saves me time, but it also saves electricity by cutting down the number of times I boot up and shut down my computer.  Think of creative ways that you can combine uses for various items in your home.

I hope this has gotten your thinking cap on.  What are some other ideas you can think of to reduce your utility costs?