Ways To Save Money With Your Utilites Day 3

Today we are going to look at how to save money with your utilities. If you are like me, you dread opening up the electric bill, gas bill, water bill, sewer bill, garbage bill, cable, phone..... because you are afraid what it will be this time. Today we are going to see how we can lower the bills just by taking some small steps.

1. Thermostat: keep your thermostat set at 68 or less in the winter and 72 or more in the summer. In the winter, bring out those great fleece blankets and snuggle up. Invest in some great fleece sweat suits for everyone to lounge in. In the summer start at 80 degress and move it down until you can tolerate it.


2. Blinds up Blinds down. Use the sunlight. During the day, if it is hot outside, keep your blinds pulled down. The natural sunlight will heat the house up too much and it will make your air conditioner run harder. In the same way, if it is a sunny day but cold out side, use the sunshine to warm the house. You will be amazed at how much this will help.


3. Install a low flow faucet and toilet. This is a great saving method. They don't cost much and they will make a difference in your bill.


4. Put a water filled bottle in the tanks of each of your toilets. This will cut down on the water that is needed to fill the tank but will not hinder the amount of water needed to flush the toilet.


5. Plant a tree/shrub. Plant trees and shrubs in places that will shade your home. This is a great way to conserve your energy. If you will plant a low bearing tree or tall shrub around your air conditioner units, it will take the stress of the heat off of them and allow them to work more effeciently. Go green, plant a tree.


6. Wash in cold water. Laundry detergent has already adjusted to this savings tip. Your clothes will come out clean trust me. Plus, make sure you wash only when you have a full load.


7. Weatherproof your home. Seal the cracks around the window and doors. If you have not put new expanda foam around your pipes, you need to do that too. As mom and dad use to tell me, you don't want to cool or heat the outdoors. Keep your energy inside.


8. Hang your laundry. As much as you can, hang your laundry to dry. I hang all pants to dry. I have a rack in my laundry room that I use to hang them because my laundry room is on the second level so access to outside is not easy. This cuts down on the drying and it makes the clothes last longer. If you have access to a clothes line, use it. A dryer uses so much energy.


9. Get rid of your land line. This is a way to cut one bill completely out. If your family is like mine, we all have cell phones. If someone wants to get ahold of you, they will call your cell. The only people that calls your land line now is telemarketers and we don't want to talk to them anyways. Check out your phone bill and see if you will need to add a few extra minutes to the plan and then cancel that land line.


10. Last but not least, use Energy saving light bulbs. Remember on earth day, Home depot is giving a bulb away to each person on that day that goes into the store. Click here to read my post about getting a free light bulb.