I live alone in a 2 bedroom apartment in a West Coast city known for its mild weather. In addition, I spend about 8-10 hours every weekday at work. Even then, last month, my electricity bill was $120. I figure, if I can cut down my electricity usage by 25%, I will save $360 every year. Chances are you can save on electricity too. Here are my tips on saving electricity in this cold January month:
- Use energy efficient CFL bulbs.
- Turn off lights when you leave a room.
- Do not keep the TV on as background noise when you are not watching it.
- Prevent phantom electricity loss. Even when unused, plugged in electrical appliances use a small amount of electricity. Either unplug appliances you are not using, or plug them into a power strip and turn off the power strip when you are done.
- Wrap up – wear a sweater, a hoodie, sweatpants, socks, a plush slipper, and a hat; only after this should you turn on the heat if needed.
- Fill up a hot water bag with boiling water and keep it on your lap. It will keep you warm.
- Since your room heater heats up the entire room, it uses a lot of energy. Use a directed space heater such as the Presto Heatdish instead.
- Drink something warm, like tea. Eat warm food like soup. These raise your internal temperature, reducing your dependency on external heat.
- Hair dryers use a lot of electricity. Dry your hair half way, and then let it air dry.
- Air dry laundry if you have the space.
- And as always, I have one extra tip. Unless you enjoy playing in dirt, using the light soil wash cycle on your washing machine will suffice, and save you energy.
