How To Save Electricity

When it comes to saving money on your power bill, people from Maine to California know the big ones: proper insulation, water conservation and turning down the thermostat can lead to major long term energy savings, but there are a whole slew of little known things you can do around the house that can lead to significant savings, as well. Let's take a look at a few of these secrets that can help you save money on electricity from now on.
Your Washer and Dryer Are Huge Energy Hogs!
We all know that the biggest energy hog in the average home is the washer and dryer. You can significantly reduce the amount of energy you use if you upgrade your machines to newer, EnergyStar certified models, but if that isn't in the budget, try tossing in a pair of dry hand towels into your next wet dryer load. Studies have shown you can reduce each dryer load by as much as 20 minutes with the inclusion of two simple dry wash cloths. If you don't have an energy efficient dryer, this will help you save money on electricity right away.

Don't Use the Heat Dry Option On Your Dishwasher
The dishwasher has become an indispensable part of the home, but if you are using the heat dry setting on your machine, you are wasting a ton of money. By using a product like Jet Dry, you can simply open the door to your dishwasher and allow your dishes to air dry without spots forming on your glasses. Heat drying is completely unnecessary and many newer models don't even have the setting for it any longer. By simply cutting out this one frivolous action, you can begin to save money on electricity almost right away.
Wash Your Clothes In Cold Water
If you are one of those people that always reads the labels on your clothes, you already know that, for the most part, darks prefer to be washed in cold water. According to most clothing manufactures, only white loads that have no black clothes in them at all should be washed on hot. If you really want to save money on electricity, wash all of your clothes on cold, including your whites, and simply run one cycle a month on hot with bleach to keep your whites bright. If the whole world stopped washing with hot water, we could save billions of dollars a year in energy expenditures.
Ask Your Energy Company For A Free Energy Audit
Finally, your local energy company may offer the best free energy saving program of all. Depending on which power company you have, you may qualify for a free appraisal of your home by an energy expert. A representative of your power company can visit your home and walk you through the various places in which you are leaking power. In most cases, the solutions are very simple and you can save money on electricity right away. Contact your power company today to see if this service is available in your neck of the woods.