There are many bills you pay each month that you have no control over, but your electric bill is not one of them. There are many different things you can do to bring down energy costs and put more money in your pocket each month.
Get An Energy Audit
An energy audit is an analysis done by an energy professional that will give you a step-by-step guide on how to save money on your energy bill. There is a cost associated with an energy audit, but it will pay for itself several times over if you follow the advice the energy professional gives you.
Get New Doors And Windows
In many states, there are tax deductions available for homeowners who invest in new energy efficient doors and windows. Not only will you significantly lower your energy bills with energy efficient doors and windows, but you will also take a decent chunk out of your tax bill for that year as well.
Try Solar Energy
The federal tax incentive for solar energy has expired, but many states still of considerable tax discounts to homeowners who install solar energy systems in their homes. If you get a large enough solar system installed, then you can sell excess energy back to the public grid. With solar energy you reduce your monthly energy bill, you can get a significant discount on your taxes and you might even be able to make extra money by selling energy back to the power company.
Replace Insulation
Over time, any type of insulation is going to lose its ability to maintain the temperature in your home. While replacing the rolled out insulation in your attic is an easy task that will lower your energy bills, you should also remember to replace the old insulation around your windows and doors.
Choose A New Electricity Provider
In many states throughout the country, consumers can compare different electricity providers to find the best rate. For years, consumers had gotten used to there being only one power company to choose from, but that changed when the state governments started to allow competition for electricity customers. Check with your state government to see if you can choose different energy providers, and then get online to compare available providers and find the best deal for you.
Be Vigilant With Electricity
The simplest way to cut back on your electricity bill is to turn off lights and other electronic items when they are not in use and replace your old standard light bulbs with new energy efficient bulbs. One trick to use is to plug the appliances from one room into a single surge protector and turn that surge protector off at night. Electronic items such as televisions and video game consoles still draw energy after they are turned off. The best way to stop wasting that money is to turn those items off at the outlet using a surge protector.
With good energy conservation measures, you can lower your electricity bill and put more money in your pocket every month. Invest some money in energy conservation measures and they will pay you back several times over.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!