The major drivers for high electric bills are heating/cooling and appliance use. Small steps can lead to big reductions in your energy use and your bill. Here are some tips to help address your high bills.
Enhance Home Insulation
- Maintain appropriate levels of insulation in your attic, walls, and under wood-frame flooring to create a heat barrier and increase energy efficiency.
- Select insulation with a higher R-factor (heat resistance) for better insulation power.
- Weatherize by caulking and weather-stripping around windows, doors, as well as openings for plumbing and wiring. This helps prevent air leakage to improve heating and cooling efficiency.
- Consider installing storm windows or film over single-pane windows or upgrading to double-pane windows to reduce drafts and condensation.
Use Ventilation
- Use ventilation systems like gable vents, ridge/soffit vents, thermostatically controlled power ventilators, and turbine ventilators to control moisture buildup and reduce heat loads on your air conditioning system.
- Replace older major appliances, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters, with energy-efficient models to lower operating costs.
- Use landscaping to shade air conditioning units. This can reduce electricity usage by up to 10%. But, ensure it doesn’t block airflow.
Appliance Upgrades
- Replace older large appliances such as refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters with newer Energy Star-rated appliances.
- And don’t save that old fridge and put it in the garage or another unconditioned space. That will eliminate any savings.