20 Simple Ways to Save Money on Your Utility Bill
This post is #2 in the Growing Green series in honor of Earth Day on April 22. You can find other great posts related to SAVING green this week on these blogs:
This week’s Growing Green theme is SAVING green while going green at the same time. I’m a huge bargain shopper when it comes to grocery shopping, so of course I apply that same frugality to our utility bill. There are so many natural things you can do to make a difference ecologically as well as financially.
Here are some of my favorite simple tips for saving money on your utility bill. These are easy-peasy ideas to implement that don’t require installing a bunch of new items or remodeling the house:
1. Unplug appliances like the toaster or blender whenever you are not using them.
2. Put your television, DVD player, computer, printer, etc. on a power strip and turn them off at night.
3. Unplug your modem and router at night as well.
4. Turn off the AC and open the windows when the weather is nice.
5. Use fans in the summer and space heaters in the winter.
6. Install a clothesline or use a clothes rack to dry your clothes. Using the dryer accounts for a full THIRD of your electric bill!
7. Line your curtains to help insulate. This is helpful in the winter or summer to keep cold air out or in.
8. Only run your dishwasher when it is completely full.
9. Install a rain barrel in your backyard. Water your plants for free with collected rain water.
10. Don’t flush the toilet every single time you use it. You heard it before — if it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down.
11. Turn off the water in the shower while you’re shampooing. Turn it back on to rinse.
12. Use natural light as much as possible instead of turning on lights.
13. Open the curtains on south facing windows (or north facing if you’re reading this from the Southern Hemisphere) to let in sunlight during the winter.
14. Close the blinds or curtains on south facing windows (or north for you Southerners) in the summer.
15. Use a hot water bottle at night instead of an electric blanket or mattress pad.
16. Turn down the thermostat on your hot water heater.
17. Use the oven as seldom as possible in the summer. Cook on a gas grill instead.
18. A slow cooker costs only pennies to use. Make soups or stews in it instead of on the stove top.
19. Wash the majority of your laundry in cold water.
20. Hand wash large pots & pans to save room in the dishwasher.
What are your best tips for saving green while going green at the same time?
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How Much Money Does It Cost You To Watch TV? | iDreamOfClean
April 16, 2012 at 9:42 am[…] of Leaves is sharing 20 Simple Ways to Cut Your Utility Bill, […]
Calie (Broccoli Cupcake)
April 16, 2012 at 1:52 pmThese are great tips. I’m only doing about half of them so I need to step it up. I’m afraid that I might have to install 4 clothes lines to handle the laundry this family of four produces. But I’m gonna give it a try!
Christine (iDreamofClean)
April 17, 2012 at 8:50 pmYou guys are my hero’s for using clotheslines…I just can’t do it! I’m just doing what I can to get by right now so the dryer is just a convenience I can’t give up :)
Lori Winter
April 20, 2012 at 9:08 pmHa! Well, every little bit helps ;) I love letting the fresh air and disinfecting sunshine dry as many of my clothes as possible. Certainly doesn’t hurt that it saves me money in the process.
Christine (iDreamofClean)
April 17, 2012 at 8:47 pmOh, I never thought of unplugging the modem and router also! Probably b/c I’m using it up until the moment I fall asleep :)
Gina
April 18, 2012 at 7:34 pmI stopped buying paper towels about 5 years ago. We use white cloth dishtowels, and I change them daily (or more often if necessary), then bleach them in the wash once a week. Saves me hundreds of dollars a year!
Lori Winter
April 20, 2012 at 9:08 pmThat’s awesome! You’ll love next week’s #growinggreen post, then ;)
5 Simple Tips to Green Your Backyard
July 11, 2012 at 12:18 pm[…] also relates to next week’s theme of SAVING green while going green, but why would you shell out money to the water company to water your veggies or your flower garden […]
A Glance in the Rearview Mirror (April 2012)
August 31, 2012 at 1:34 pm[…] green, think green, and teach green. My contributions were 5 Simple Tips to Green Your Backyard, 20 Simple Ways to Save Money on Your Utility Bill, a (Non) Disposable Challenge, and a post titled, I Wonder What My Neighbors Must […]
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