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Over 20 Tips for Saving Money on Your Electric Bill

February 7, 2009

Saving Money on Your Electric Bill, Money and Light Bulb on Top of Electric BillIn Florida, electric bills run high, particularly in the summer. I save on my electric bill in two ways:

First, I hang my clothes to dry, only using my dryer to de-wrinkle the clothes. In this way, the dryer is on for only 20 minutes vs. over an hour.

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Second, I unplug everything that is not being used: the microwave, the toasters, the hair dryer, the cell phone chargers, the computers, the washer and dryer.

Although it is minimal, these items still use electricity even when dormant. We probably save around $20 or more a month just by unplugging everything.

By combining these two methods, along with having cooler weather and being able to turn off our A/C, last month we had our lowest electric bill since moving into our house (which has vaulted ceilings) from an apartment. Contact your local electric company for more ideas on how to use less and save more--they are glad to help.

By Lynne from Orlando, FL

 
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March 2, 2011

I was getting annoyed with myself because I was wasting so much power boiling and reboiling my electric kettle. I kept forgetting to only heat as much water as I needed and left the coffee maker heating ring on all day.

 
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November 10, 2009

A good way to save on electric bills, especially when you have someone in the home who forgets to turn out the lights, is to install motion detector switches. These are great.

 
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Bronze Tip Medal for All Time! 51 Tips
May 18, 2009

Cutting back on your electrical usage can be easy IF you know where to look. This exercise must be done after dark, with the lights off, if possible.

 
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October 8, 2012

Almost every recipe I have for baked goods begins with "Preheat Oven." While this may be a time saver, it is not a money saver. Especially if the ten minutes it should take to prepare the recipe turns into thirty minutes.

 
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Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts
June 20, 2018

I always try to save on electricity. I put items on power strips and unplug items I' am not using. A few years ago I bought a twin window fan. I liked it so much I bought two more. I got them for $4-7 at yard sales.

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Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 5,887 Posts
February 20, 2012

This week I thought I would share some ideas on how our family has saved money on our electric/gas bill. We have found that this particular bill has been one of our easiest to control. There are a several different things you can do to keep this bill under control.

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August 26, 2011

First, swap out any incandescent lights with compact fluorescent, even your exterior lights. I discovered the latter when my outside light, an incandescent, kept burning out every few weeks.

 
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June 11, 2010

We live in a two story home and the kids always manage to leave the upstairs bathroom or hallway lights on. I don't notice it until after they have left for school.

 
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August 26, 2011

Wash clothes in cold water, and skip the dryer. A regular load of wash and wear can be hung on the shower curtain rod. Start slow, one load per week = 52 loads a year. Family members may catch on. Good luck.

 
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March 7, 2011

If you live in an all electric house it can get very expensive, even with new energy efficient appliances. So think a timer for your water heater. It will save you as much or more than a expensive solar panel on the roof.

 
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November 13, 2014

Using LED light bulbs is one of the best ways to save money on your electric bill. These Philips LED may look odd but they work great and only use 10.5 watts to equal a 60 watt incandescent bulb.

 
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January 13, 2014

If you live alone and have a freezer, you can use it to freeze cold cells for a coolbox, so that you don't need to use electricity running a fridge as well. My daily routine includes changing my cold cells when I get up, and when I go to bed.

 

Kelly Ann Butterbaugh
February 15, 2011

Every month I open the electric bill and accept it with quiet discontent. However, this month the bill was too high to ignore. I stepped away from my desk and took a 360 degree look around my home. What did I see? A giant electric sucking vortex of wasted energy.

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November 5, 2009

Purchase timer light switches and install in the bathrooms, kids rooms or any room were lights may be forgotten on. The timers automatically shut the lights off after 15 to 60 minutes.

 
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September 13, 2007

I just wanted to share my energy savings tips! Our electric bill kwh hour jumped almost double so I had to come up with something to help. It all sort of played out slowly.

 
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Judy - Louisville, KY
March 14, 2001

If you have an electric water heater, turn your hot water heater off when you go out of town, or even when you leave for the day. It will cut your electric bill!

 
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April 10, 2019

Receiving a utility bill that is unexplainably high is initially a shock. Then the question is what is wrong. With a high electric bill, sometimes the culprit is a malfunctioning appliance. This is a page about troubleshooting the cause of a large electric bill.

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January 19, 2017

Utility bills can be very expensive, but there are some easy cost effective ways to reduce them. This page contains ideas to slash your electric bill in half.

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To save on electricity during peak costs, use a battery operated radio. I also use a battery operated lamp in my bedroom. The batteries last a long time, saving money.

 
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May 18, 2011

After unplugging every gadget that wasn't being used, turning off every light that didn't need to burn, and replacing every appliance with an energy saving model, there still had to be an unseen way to save electricity. Saving water can save electricity as well.

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January 8, 2010

One can never save enough electric. Yet, the growing concern over the cost of utilities coincides with the growing concern for the health of our planet. This enables a household to cut utility costs while "going green" in ways that are easier than ever before.

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Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 170 Posts
September 2, 2009

Our local library offers, to members, free usage of Kill A Watt monitor for three days. There is a waiting list but it is well worth the wait. Check your local library to see if they offer it. It was donated by the local power company.

 
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April 22, 2009

I am such a creature of habit that I often do not think of the things I do that use expensive energy and climate changing fuels.

 
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August 14, 2008

We are on a "Time-of-Use" plan for the electricity we use in our home. Our provider is Wisconsin Public Service. From 8 p.m. to 9 a.m. and 24 hours/day on Saturdays,Sundays, and holidays, we are charged $.0549/KWH.

 
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Kelly Ann Butterbaugh
July 28, 2008

Think you've mastered electrical savings? Take another look around your home and find even more places to pull the plug and keep the meter from spinning.

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July 24, 2008

There are more than a few ways to keep the electric meter from spinning at an alarming rate. Some require a little electrical inventory, such as turning off unused appliances or switching to Energy Star appliances. However, others take a bit more creativity and planning.

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April 30, 2007

Unplug appliances that are "instant on" appliances, such as TV, phone charger, etc. when not in use. These are "vampire" appliances that have electric current going through them.

 
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Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 166 Posts
September 25, 2006

I was absolutely shocked at my electric bill this month, so I sat down and made a list of things I will do to see if I can get it down, this list is now posted on the refrigerator, so I can see it every day. . .

 
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39 Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

November 2, 2008

Tip for saving money on electricity. Post your ideas.

Answers

November 2, 20080 found this helpful

Cover your windows! I don't have the best windows and can't afford new ones and I can feel the cold coming off of them at night! By using drapes to trap the heat and stop the cold, you could save a considerable amount of money on your energy bill.

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This works in the summer, too. Also, check the fitting on your outer doors. Use a blanket or towel on the bottom if there is any gap. Nobody mentioned this yet so I thought I would throw in my 2 cents.

 
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March 1, 2014

Does a laundry dryer that is turned off use a lot of energy with a 220 plug?

By Tonya from CO

Answers

March 2, 20140 found this helpful
Best Answer

A dryer that's not running doesn't use any energy. The things that use energy are things with a continual light like electric clocks, anything with a timer. etc.

 
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