Saving Money on Utilities for Families

Saving money on utilities is important not only to keep your budget in check but also in an effort to conserve energy. Fuel surcharges, droughts, and water shortages all give us reasons to do what we can to save money on our utility bills.  There are a number of ways you can begin saving money on utilities.  Some are small changes that you can make today and others are changes you can work on slowly over time.

Saving money on utilities

• Before you head to bed at night, take a look around the house and make sure that everything has been turned off. Did you remember the fan in the living room?  During the summer, I miss this one a lot. Did you forget to turn off the light in the kitchen?  Even small changes can add up.
• Turn your hot water heater down to 120 degrees.  The EPA states that a heater that is set to 140 degrees or higher can waste up to $61 a year in standby heat loss. Remember when you go on vacation, you can turn your hot water heater off to save money. If you are handy add a water heater blanket. The Home Depot/Lowes guy can help you find the right one.
• Upgrade your appliances to new energy efficient models.  Yes, this will require an upfront purchase but you will save money over time. Remember to check for rebates from your state when making your purchase. Found this website that lists a lot of rebates by state and appliance. http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator
• Weather strip and caulk around doors and windows to seal up cracks where cold or warm air escape. Remember to check the basement for any holes where pipes leave or enter your home. Not only can doing this save you money on utilities but also on rat traps if you know what I mean.
• Buy a programmable thermostat that will remember to turn the heat down for you before bed and turn it up for you in the morning. I can’t tell you how often I forget to turn the heat down before I go to bed at night. Actually I find that my kids noses run the higher the temperature, so too hot means sinus issues in my home.
• Save money using a power strip for your computer & entertainment devices.  Turn the whole power strip off at bed time to reduce phantom loads that use energy even when the items are off.

Incorporate just a few of these suggestions into your normal household routine and over time, the energy savings will surprise you.  Saving money on utilities can be easy with these ideas.  Have I missed any ways you save money on utilities in your home?

Let me know your money saving tip in the comments or on our Facebook page.