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There’s no doubt that you’ll have to pay utilities every month, but there are things you can do to reduce the amount. It all starts with instilling energy-saving habits in your family and looking for ways to improve efficiency in your home. Here are five secrets to saving money around the house.
Teach Your Family to Turn Off the Lights When They Leave a Room
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Clearlyenergy.com states that it costs between 1 cent and 6 cents per hour to power a light bulb, depending on whether you use incandescent, LED, or CFL. This might not seem like a lot of money, but it adds up if your family never turns off the lights when they leave a room. Teach your family to flip the switch to save some money. You should also unplug appliances when they are not in use because they cause a slow power drain that you have to pay for.
Put a Shower Timer in All of Your Bathrooms
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If your family likes to take long, hot showers, that behavior needs to stop for you to save money. Water is expensive, and so is the gas or electricity needed to heat that water. To save money, put a shower timer on the lights in all of your bathrooms. This will signal family members to get out of the shower when the lights go off. Ten minutes is more than enough time to get clean. If you like to relax in the hot water, opt for a bath instead.
Install New Windows and Seal Out Air Leaks
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A lot of energy is lost through your windows and through air leaks around your home. If you spend a little money on quality windows, they’ll pay for themselves over time because your HVAC unit won’t have to work as hard to heat and cool your home. Installing weather-stripping around doors can also help your energy bill stay low.
Learn Simple HVAC Maintenance
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It’s important to change the air filter every month or two to prevent dust from clogging your HVAC system and circulating throughout your home. This is just one of the many simple HVAC maintenance items you can perform yourself. You can also learn how to clean furnace sensors, clean out your AC, and more. Of course, you also want to get your HVAC unit tuned up every year to prevent major problems.
Make Your Own Cleaning Products
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A clean home makes you feel great and take pride in what you have. However, cleaning products are expensive when you buy them at the store. Instead, you can make your own. Homemade cleaning products are also better for the environment and safer for your children and pets. It’s amazing how much a bit of baking soda and peroxide can do. Vinegar also works wonders around your home without breaking the bank.
These are just a few secrets to saving money around your home. Do you have any other ideas? We’d like to know what you do in the comments below.
Jana says
There are some great tips here! Thank you!