Tag Archives: ways to reduce electricity bill


4 Ways to Reduce Your Electricity Bill

Everyone knows that in order to save money on their electricity bill they should turn off the lights when they aren’t in the room, close the windows if the heating is on, buy Energy Star appliances, etc., etc. Here are some ways to cut down on your electricity bill that you might not have considered.

CFL Bulb

1. Use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) – Replace your incandescent bulbs with CFLs. Yeah, they’re a little more costly in regards to the initial purchase but, according to BC Hydro, CFLs energy consumption is a whopping 75% less than that of your incandescent lights. In addition to the fact that they use only a quarter of the energy, they also last an impressive 10x longer. BC Hydro says “As one CFL lasts as long as 10 incandescent bulbs, you could save over $37 – including costs of the bulb(s) and electricity – over the nine-year lifetime of one CFL bulb. Replace five 60-watt incandescent bulbs with 14-watt CFLs, at an average of three hours per day, and you’ll save more than $20 per year.

Programmable Thermostat

2. Install programmable thermostats – Heating and cooling your home accounts for nearly half of your energy consumption. SaskEnergy sayYou can save 2% on your heating bill for every 1 degree C you turn down your thermostat. With a programmable thermostat to consistently lower your heat when you don’t need it, you could save up to $65 a year!” So, turn down the heat and throw on a sweater to save money on electricity.

3. Turn the TV off! – You’re probably thinking one of two things: 1) That’s a no-brainer,  or 2) turning a TV off isn’t going to make that much difference on reducing the electrical bill. If you’re thinking the latter, you’re wrong! Big screen HDTVs are power-suckers and plasma televisions are harder on your electricity bill than LCD televisions. CNET compared the power consumption of various HDTVs and some televisions can cost over $100 a year to run! If you check out the CNET chart, make sure to note the middle column where it shows the power consumption with the default settings unless, of course, you intend to calibrate your TV (another way to save on your electricity bill, you might want to consider).

Save on power

4. Avoid using phantom power – Even when you turn off your electronics, they still consume electricity. This is known as phantom power. It might seem trivial, but when you consider how many gadgets and electronics we have plugged in and leave plugged in, it can certainly add up! SaskPower claim thatabout 40 per cent of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.” That’s a lot! So to save money on your electricity bill, make sure you unplug your electronic equipment – including cell phone and other chargers –  when it’s not being used. Hint: hooking multiple devices to a power strip will enable you to turn off all those devices in one fell swoop. It will save you quite a bit of money over time!

Reduce Electrical Bill

How to save money on electricity

What actions do you take to reduce your electrical bill? Do you cut back on your energy consumption to save money, to help the environment, or both? Let us know your tips by commenting below!