4 Ways To Lower Your Energy Bill

When it comes to being a homeowner, you probably want to save money wherever you can. Between mortgage payments, bills and other life expenses, owning a property has a lot of responsibilities and can be costly. Instead of cutting expenses by foregoing a homeowners insurance policy - which will ensure your finances are protected in the event of a fire, storm or theft - you can save money right in your own home with your energy bill. Here are some of the best methods for saving:

Turn down/up the thermostat

One of the biggest users of energy in your home is your heating and cooling system. During the height of winter and summer, you could see your energy bill skyrocket. However, you can use your thermostat more efficiently to keep this cost down. During the winter when temperatures drop, you can lower your thermostat by a few degrees during the night when everyone in your household will be sleeping. Even a difference of two degrees can knock off a huge chunk from your energy bill. Try wearing more layers or sleeping with heavier blankets to stay comfortable throughout the night. Similarly, in the summer, try to utilize other methods of cooling off before turning on the air conditioning.

Clean your vents

Beyond adjusting the temperature for a cheaper bill, you can make your heating and cooling more efficient by checking all the vents in your home. A dirty, clogged or closed vent can leave you scratching your head as to why the temperature is not to the degree you set the thermostat. A vent that isn't open all the way can make it difficult for your system to regulate temperature well, but opening and cleaning all vents should eliminate this struggle.

Change your lightbulbs

Whenever you turn on a light, you are paying for the electricity to power it. However, not all lightbulbs are equal. Over the past few years, energy-efficient bulbs have become widely available and affordable. Changing a lightbulb is one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to lower your energy bill. Plus, energy-efficient bulbs will last longer, which will save you money in the long run as you won't need to replace them as frequently.

Insulate

If there are certain areas of your home that tend to be colder in the winter and warmer in the summer, it may be due to poor insulation. Air can get through tiny spaces between windows and under doors, which can decrease your heating and cooling efficiency and cost you money. Instead of watching your dollars slip through these literal cracks, you can add insulation to keep the air inside. You can also greatly improve overall efficiency by updating insulation throughout your entire home. Hiring an auditor to perform tests on your home is one of the best ways to find out just how much you are wasting in energy costs as a result of inadequate home insulation. An auditor will likely provide you with a recommendation to update the insulation and may even show you how much you could save annually.