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The sound of the mailman coming down your driveway shouldn’t fill you with feelings of dread. However, these are the feelings you might experience, especially if your energy bills are on the high side. You could, of course, nail your mailbox shut so he wouldn’t have access, although he would still find a way to deliver them to you!

Still, your energy bills don’t have to give you nightmares. It is possible to keep your house warm without breaking the budget, and you can also live a life that doesn’t require a lot of electricity usage. So, consider the following. If you can adhere to anything we say here, you won’t have to fear the mailman, and he won’t have to put up with you glaring at him as he approaches your home. 

#1: Switch your light bulbs

If you haven’t switched to LED lighting yet, now is the time to do so. They sometimes cost a little more than traditional light bulbs but they last a lot longer and they use less energy too! According to Energy.Gov, they use at least 75% less energy than incandescent lights so it’s clear that you will make a big saving on your energy bill. 

#2: Don’t put your electronics on standby

Many of us leave our electrical goods on standby as there is the assumption that very little energy is wasted. We are thinking of our TVs and DVD players, for example. But according to the US Department of Energy, electronics left on standby can account for 10% of your electricity bill. So, before you go to bed each night, unplug the appropriate electronic items in your home. You will certainly sleep better if you know you aren’t wasting electricity!

#3: Unplug fully charged items

We are thinking of your laptops, phones, and tablets here, each of which you might put on charge regularly if you are constantly using them. Our first piece of advice, of course, is to stop being reliant on them. There is a tendency for some of us to use our devices on a near 24/7 basis but the upshot of this is the need to charge them more. So, consider the next point on our list for more of this. But when you do need to charge them, unplug them when they are powered up. This is another way to save on electricity.

#4: Spend time without your devices

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You don’t have to scroll through Facebook every five minutes on the off chance that you might miss something your friends have posted. And you don’t need to watch TV for most of your day either. There are all kinds of things you could do with your time, such as reading a book, going for a walk, playing board games with your family, and taking up an outside hobby. These are things many of us used to do before the advent of smartphones and streaming sites, so live part of your day doing something that doesn’t require electricity. Of course, you will also be doing much to care for your health if you’re not glued to a screen for hours.

#5: Encourage your family to follow energy-saving habits

You might be energy-conscious but what about your family? If they are responsible for your high energy bills, it might be that a few rules are in order. You might remind them to turn lights off in rooms they aren’t using, for example, and as we have already suggested, you could ask them to unplug devices when they are fully charged. 

Going back to our last point, you could also encourage them to spend time away from their devices. If you could plan family games and activities, this would give them the incentive to switch off their screens. Setting a few rules regarding their screens is also advisable for the benefit of their health and wellbeing. 

#6: Commit to a home renovation

A home renovation can be expensive but if it can bring down your energy bills, you will make savings in the long term. You could pay for a loft or wall insulation, for example, as this would stop heat escaping from your home. In this regard, you might also want to contact a window replacement company if your current windows aren’t very energy-efficient. By taking these steps, there would be less need to crank up your thermostat. 

You could consider solar panels too as you would then be less reliant on electricity to power your home. And there are other energy-efficient renovation ideas here if you want to upgrade your home in other ways. 

#7: Upgrade your appliances

Especially in your kitchen, there will be several appliances that you regularly use. We are thinking of your dishwasher, washing machine, and refrigerator as examples. If these are a number of years old, they could be responsible for much of your energy expenses, as they might be using more energy than they should be. If you suspect this is the case, now might be the time to replace them with something new. Most modern appliances come with an Energy Star Rating so look for this seal of approval when shopping around. For an idea of what to buy, these are Energy Star’s recommended products for 2021. 

#8: Don’t overuse your washing appliances

Do you really need to turn on the dishwasher if you only have a couple of dishes to clean after dinner? It makes more sense to wash them by hand instead of switching on your appliance. The same applies to the washing machine you use for your laundry. If any item of clothing is only loosely stained, you could clean them by hand instead of loading them into the machine. The best thing to do in both cases is to wait until you are ready to do full loads of washing. This way, you aren’t wasting energy for the sake of only a few items.

#9: Switch energy company

Energy prices seem to rise on an annual basis but some companies will still be cheaper than others. So, don’t forget to check prices on a regular basis as this is one easy way to bring down your bills. Look for independent reviews online so you know which companies to consider, and use an online comparison site so you can compare the various deals that each energy company offers. 

#10: Check your energy bill

If your energy bills are unusually high, you should contact your supplier. There could be an issue with your electricity meter, for example, so they might need to send somebody out to check for any faults.

It might also be that your bill has been calculated using estimated prices. If you are paying less than you should be, you will be charged for the remainder eventually. But if you are paying more than you should be, you will be owed a refund. The best thing for you to do is give your supplier your meter readings every month, so you are only charged the right amount. 

Finally

Love them or loathe them (it’s obviously the latter), you do have to pay your energy bills. Glaring at the mailman won’t help you, as it’s clearly not his fault that you receive them. But as we have seen here, there are ways to bring down your energy expenses. So, for the sake of your household budget, consider our suggestions. You will then make more savings on a regular basis. You can put any extra money you save into your rainy day fund and use it when your bills are typically higher, such as during the winter months. 

Thanks for reading!