This is the time of the year when the electric and heat bills start coming in. Every year these bills tend to go up more and more. Now is the time to think of new ways to save money on these bills. We live on a farm with a 3000 thousand square foot house. The heat bill alone can really add up. Next in line is the electric bill. Since we have a well we do not have a water bill. We have found several different ways to save some money on both of these bills.
1. The easiest one is just open your curtains on sunny days and let the sun heat your house. Just seeing the sun makes you feel all warm inside. The sunlight can add anywhere from 1 to 4 degree to your house depending on how warm it gets during the day. Why heat your house with the furnace when the sun can do some of it for you.
2. Turn down or off your thermostat when you are not home. This will save you a lot of money. All you have to do when you get home is turn it on again or up to heat the house back up. During the day while we are gone we tend to leave the house at 62 degrees.
3. Add more clothing, like sweaters or long sleeve shirts to yourself to keep warm. Layering is a great way to keep warmer. Have a few more blankets or quilts handy.
4. Having your furnace running all day adds up fast. When the days are not so cold turn off your furnace while you are gone. Go to your breaker box and just flip the switch off and then back on when you get home.
5. Buy yourself a power strip. These are very inexpensive and save you a lot on your electric bills. Plug in your appliances, and flip the switch to off when you are not using them. Flip the switch back on when you need your appliances. Over- night, we unplug all TV’s, computers, and lights. Using power strips on your appliances will eliminate “phantom loads” from your appliance that continue to use power even if they are not being used.
6. Adding a blanket around your hot water heater will help keep it warmer longer. During this time of year, we heat our water once a day and we have enough for dishes and showers.
7. Whenever you make anything in the oven, don’t waste that heat. Open your stove and let the heat out to add extra heat to your house. Baking a lot during this time of the year is a great way to add extra warmth to your kitchen.
These are just a few things that we as a family do to costs on our electric and heating bills. Every little bit counts and adds up to extra savings. If you are like most people you want to save on these bills as much as possible. I like to save my money not spend it. I hope some of these ideas work for you as well as they have worked for our family. Stay warm and save a little money in the process from Suzie Homemaker.
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