How to Cut More Costs with Appliance Usage

For many people, the bulk of all costs comes from electricity, gas, and appliance usage. Thus, we thought about showing you the most helpful tips to save money while still getting most of the benefits that modern life has to offer.

Be aware that some of these practices might be more costly upfront, but they will save you a lot of money in the long run. As a rule of thumb, there are two ways to save on energy: conservation and efficiency. We’ll delve into both of these methods shortly with the examples below.

Consider Conducting an Energy Audit

Also known as an energy assessment, this is the best way to find out where your inflated electricity and gas bills come from.

This is the first step you should take before dealing with anything else related to energy savings. You can opt for more details about conducting your own energy audit or getting a professional to do it for you at Energy.gov.

Cut Energy Usage by Idle Devices

When you turn off electronics, not all energy consumption gets cut out. The truth is that most electronics don’t completely shut off, but rather enter an idle state.

To put it even more into perspective, about 75% of energy use is caused by turned-off electronics. That’s an incredible amount of power you could be saving by unplugging gadgets instead of hitting the off button.

To make your life easier, you could try getting power strips that can be turned off with the press of a button. That way you won’t have to unplug every single item in your house; only flip a switch and be done with it.

Use Dimmer Switches

The cool thing about dimmer switches is that they save up on electricity without you even realizing it.

Their main feature is turning off the power supply once every two minutes in the blink of an eye. A human won’t notice the millisecond when the light bulbs aren’t functioning anymore, but the savings will add up to a lot in the long run.

Install Ceiling Fans

The air conditioner might be a blessing during the summer heat wave but is definitely a costly burden on your electricity bill.

Installing ceiling fans is a viable alternative because they don’t take nearly as many watts to function. And you’ll also be able to conserve more energy by using each unit only in the rooms where people are present.

Replace Defective Appliance Parts Yourself

Your dishwasher, washing machine, and dryer can increase the cost on energy bills significantly if one or more of their main parts suffer from limescale buildup.

The problem is that replacing said parts can be quite costly if you choose to call a professional. When possible, a DIY solution can be helpful, and you can choose this resource for any home project you need.

Turn off the Stove Before the Food Is Ready

When using a stovetop or oven, the heat conducted through the metal parts is so significant that it can continue cooking your food for about two or three minutes after turning the stove off.

Sure, the cost per single meal won’t drop significantly. But do this for every meal within a year, and you might end up saving more than $50 with this simple trick.

Turn off Your Dishwasher’s Drying Cycle

Sure, washing dishes can become quite difficult when you have piles of pots, pans, plates, and silverware stacked up on each other.

However, drying dishes doesn’t have to be a chore. Consider investing in a dish drying rack. After the wash cycle, take your dishes out and place them on the rack. Then simply let nature do its thing.

The Bottom Line

Saving energy is simple once you’ve found the culprits and have taken steps to reduce or even cut out their electricity supply for good.

As an additional tip, it is also recommended to replace old appliances with new and energy-efficient ones. There's a wide selection of washing machines and appliances that are energy-efficient in the market nowadays. So, make sure to check your options carefully.

By using the tips provided above, you are bound to save at least a few hundred dollars per year. And if that’s not enough to get you motivated, consider you’re also doing your part in saving the environment.