Well, our utility bills have thrown us all for a loop. So, what can be done to reduce the cost of energy?
Obviously, the best way to lower your utility bill is to get your energy from a source other than your utility company. Solar energy can be used to heat your home, and geothermal energy can be used to both heat and cool your home. Even though these are great options, there are some easy things you can do to lower that huge utility bill.
Vent Covers: Most homes have rooms that aren't used very often. Isolating those rooms from the rest of your home is a simple and cheap way to cut your heating costs. Close the room's vents to make this happen. But the vents rarely close properly. You should buy vent covers and put them over the vents for the plan to work. The plastic covers stop heat from escaping through the vents. Next, leave the room and shut the door behind you. By doing this, you can make your home smaller by getting rid of the space that needs to be heated. The less space a home has, the less money it costs to heat it.
Windows: Your windows use the most energy of anything in your house. Your windows must have a good seal. If they don't, heat will leak out of them, which will keep your heater from working. You can cut your utility bill by a lot if you make sure your windows fit tightly into their frames when they are closed. It might not seem like much, but it really adds up.
Programmable Thermostat: Half of your utility bill goes toward heating your home. Even though you need a warm home to live in the winter, you don't have to keep it warm all the time. A programmable thermostat can cut your heating costs if there are times during the day when no one is home because they are at work or school. Just set the thermostat so that it turns off at the right time and back on before anyone gets home. Your utility bill will go down quickly if you cut out four to eight hours of heating each day.
If your utility bills are completely out of hand, there is something wrong with your home that needs to be fixed. You need to get an Energy Audit done. Your home will be checked out by a person who does audits. Then, they can figure out what's wrong, what needs to be done, and give you other ways to cut your bill. Depending on how bad your situation is, an energy audit could cut your utility bill by 50 percent or more.
Costs of power are high and are likely to keep going up for the foreseeable future. Taking steps to lower your utility bill now will save you money for years to come.
