• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

North East Connected

Hopping Across The North East From Hub To Hub

Saving On Utilities: What You Can Do TO Cut Down On Bills

ByDave Stopher

Apr 11, 2021

Your utility bills can be frightening to look at when the end of the month arrives. This is especially when harsh weather or other exceptional circumstances force you to use more of it. For example, high temperatures can have you turning your air conditioning more often and at higher settings. If you feel your utility bills are too high or simply want to save more money each month, here are some tips on how to cut down on utility expenses.

Perform An Energy Audit

One of the first things you have to do is to know exactly where your energy is going, whether it is heating or electricity. A good energy audit will pinpoint where you are wasting energy and can give you a chance to fix it. As for who can do it, you can hire a professional auditor who can be thorough about the audit and give you a detailed report. You might also want to do the inspection yourself. You will have to focus on leaks and improper ventilation, which should be a good start. It is still much better to hire an independent expert to be sure.

Get Some Insulation

Insulation is the most effective money-saving improvement you can do to your home. This is thanks to the dual purpose that they have. During hot months, they keep the heat outside the home. In the winter months, the insulation keeps the heat inside. The great thing about insulation is its relatively low price and easy installation. They can range from simple panels to more like plastic filling that you pour into the wall. There are two places where you should place the insulation:the walls and attic.

Install Solar Panels

A more direct way of cutting down on electricity is by generating your own. Modern technology allows for building and installing some pretty powerful solar panels. There are several factors to consider. For one, you need to decide where you will be placing the solar panels. The usual location is the roof, but you might not have enough space. If so, you can position it in the yard. Besides the solar panels, you also need to worry about integrating them into your system. This includes a battery and more.

Replace Your Fixtures With Water-saving Ones

There are a lot of potential water fixtures in a house. These include faucets and showerheads. If you want to lower your water bill, you can replace all of these with their water-saving counterparts. For example, low-flow toilets can save you thousands of gallons every year. They reduce water used during flushing from one-third to half, depending on the design. Look for something similar for other water fixtures like your showerheads and faucets. The great thing about this is that it will also likely fix a lot of your leaking issues.

Know When To Upgrade

A lot of items degrade over time. This can result in inefficiencies in your home setup. For example, an older furnace would find it more difficult to heat a home. Additionally, you might be missing out on a lot of energy-saving features. So if you want to save some money, you might have to spend a bit on a few upgrades. The simplest one is to change all the lights in your home to LED ones. These LED lights are brighter with lower energy usage, and they can last a lot longer, too. A good rule of thumb is if something is older than ten years old, whether it is an appliance or a fixture, then you should replace it with the latest model.

Call In The Experts

While it is possible to DIY a lot of these changes, it is better to call experts. Whether it is someone good at electrical repair or knows more about HVAC than you do, professionals can do a lot when it comes to saving your utility bills. For example, they usually have the right tools and knowledge of how to use them. This allows them to fix a lot of the issues facing your home, and they can help with any changes that you want to make.

Lower utility bills are a big benefit to you as a homeowner. For one, this frees up money that you can use for something else. This might even allow you to make some upgrades around the house. Besides that, a lot of the methods you can use to lower your bill can be a net positive for your home. Think about what you can do now so that you can reap the rewards for years to come.