Money has rarely been tighter, which can make you feel more stressed out every day. It’s the perfect scenario for needing a vacation, but who can afford a weekend away? You can, if you follow these small changes and stick with them for a year. Some of them you can install with the help of a licensed electrical contractor, but the rest are switches you can make yourself. Whether you’d like a few days away with the kids or a romantic weekend away from home, you can bank enough money from electricity savings to pay for it by the end of the year.
Changes to Make with Your Electrical Contractor’s Help
Even the handiest handyman (or -woman) needs help with some jobs, especially when it comes to installing electrical appliances. It’s much safer to trust a licensed electrician to do a professional job than to do even a competent amateur job. You’ll know the job is done right, and you’ll save money by avoiding the inevitable redo that shoddy jobs call for. Some of the ways your electrician can help you save money are:
- Installing a hot water heater timer. You’re not home all the time, and you definitely don’t take showers all hours of the day and night. Why spend money heating water you’re not going to use. An electrician can install a water heater timer for a savings of about $25 per year.
- Get a smart meter. Check with your electricity company to find the availability of these meters in your area. If they’re available, your electrician can install them, replacing your old meter. These new, more sensitive meters have the ability to shut off power to your home for a short time, lightening the power load in times when it’s needed most for the community. Most electric companies offer a reward for using these meters, and you can achieve up to $140 a year in electricity savings by using one.
- Install smarter switches. Outdoor lighting can be a great safety feature on a house, but it costs a lot of money to have those lights running all night long. Have your electrician switch out the traditional lights for ones with a motion sensor switch. The lights will go on when anything moves around your property, and go back off when all is calm. Smarter switches can work inside the house, too. Set timers on the fans in your home, including a timer that will turn each fan off after a certain length of time. Adding these two details to your home can net you around $100 a year.
Changes You Can Do Yourself
Some changes are so simple you can do them yourself. You’ll save a surprisingly large amount of money making these easy changes, without ever having to consult a professional:
Buy Energy Star appliances. If you’re in the market for a new refrigerator or stove, do your research to find the most energy-efficient model that fits your lifestyle. Energy Star models show their average savings right on the label. These appliances can save you between $35 and $600 a year.
Service your air conditioner. This simple task doesn’t take a professional to complete it. If you hose out the inside, straighten the fins, lubricate the motor, and change the filter, you can save up to $65 next year.
Kill energy vampires. According to the Department of Energy, 75 percent of the electrical use by home electronics happens when they’re shut off. These appliances are always in stand-by mode, which takes a constant source of power to maintain. Unplugging your computer, stereo system, and television can cut around $100 from your bill each year.
Change your furnace filters. Yes, it’s time-worn advice, but that doesn’t make it useless. Changing a furnace filter is almost always a matter of sliding the old one out and sliding a replacement in. It takes about a minute, and saves you about $5 a month, or $60 every year.
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