Cut Your Electric Bill

It takes both natural gas and coal to make electricity. Both of these resources have seen a dramatic increase in price in the last year which unfortunately means that electricity prices are also increasing. It is anticipated that electricity costs will increase an additional 9.5% in 2009. Here are just a few tips to help cut your electric bill.

Replace Light Bulbs:
Incandescent light bulbs are energy hogs and you need to replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Your initial cost for CFLs will be higher at $2.00 to $5.00 per bulb as compared to $1.00 to $2.00 for incandescent light bulbs, but CFLs are far more efficient. Initially, CFLs cast a harsh bluish type light, but the technology has improved in recent years. There is now a wide variety of CFL bulbs to choose from.

Unplug and Turn Off:
Another excellent way to cut your electric bill is to unplug all those electronic gadgets that you don't use every day. Standby energy use accounts for 5% to 10% of all home energy consumption and will cost the average household approximately $125.00 per year. There are some items in your house that are just too annoying to unplug all the time, such as the microwave, kitchen appliances, and TVs. You can plug these items into a power strip and then switch off the power strip before you leave the house each day before work. You can also save approximately $75.00 a year simply by shutting off your computer every night.

Buy Energy Efficient Appliances:
If you are shopping for a household appliance, look for the Energy Star. Buying appliances that meet the Energy Star criteria can save you up to $400 a year. Refrigerators are the biggest energy guzzling appliance in your house, so if your refrigerator has been around since the early 1990's, then it is time to replace the appliance. If you can't afford to replace you refrigerator right now, keeping the coils clean can increase the efficiency by 30%.

By taking just a few simple steps will help you cut your electric bill by hundreds of dollars each year.