Electricity costs money – there is no doubt about it, but cutting back on the bill you pay every month starts by cutting back on your usage. Cutting back on how much electricity you use in your home doesn’t have to be rocket science and in fact, it can be done easily. Here are a few tips to help you reduce what you use and ultimately, what you pay.

#3

Contact your power company company or check the phone book for consumer groups, businesses or organizations that provide free or low-cost assessments to evaluate your electricity usage. This can be a great tool to see ways in which you waste energy and probably don’t even realize it. Such assessments may also offer tips and ideas about how you can fix such problems that are costing you money when you probably didn’t know it.

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It might seem like a small thing, but properly weather proofing your home can reduce heat and cold loss and infiltration. Invest in weather stripping to go around doors and windows.

Small foam insulators are inexpensive and easy to put into place around light switches and electrical outlets to help keep out hot and cold air from outside while keeping in the warm or cool air you want inside. If you’re not sure if these are worth it, simply hold your hand near a light switch or outlet that’s situated on an outside wall. You will probably be surprised at the amount of air you can feel — particularly if the temperature is cold outside.

Inexpensive kits can be purchased at local home improvement and discount stores to better insulate your windows. These kits include plastic sheets that are put in place around the windows on the inside of your house using double stick tape. The plastic will help keep the cold out and the warmth in during the winter. Remember, the more your house can passively heat and cool itself through good insulation and weatherproofing, the less work your furnace or ac has to do. This translates to less electricity used and ultimately, a lower power bill.