Commitment + Clinical Leadership = Better Outcomes

Americans spend approximately $117.67 per month on their energy bills.¹ Over time, this can add up to over a thousand dollars a year.

Luckily, you can take steps to cut your energy costs that can help slash your bill in half while making your home more environmentally friendly. Here are 10 ways you can cut your energy costs today!

Turn Off the Air Conditioning

84% of homes in the U.S. have some type of air conditioning unit. Research has found that air conditioners are more common in homes than dishwashers, garages, and dining rooms. However, air conditioners can release over 100 million tons of carbon dioxide each year, which comes out to 2 tons per home.²

Reducing the amount of air conditioning that you use can help keep the environment green while saving you money on the electric bill. Turn off the air conditioner when you aren’t at home. If needed, set your thermostat to avoid having it automatically turn on.

Unplug Unused Devices

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that unplugging devices that are currently not in use can save $100-200 each year. An item drawing a single watt of energy will cost a dollar to power annually.³

Unplugging devices when they aren’t in use can help you cut energy costs by saving electricity. Some items you can unplug when they aren’t in use include laptops, phone chargers, hair straighteners, printers, video game consoles, coffee makers, microwaves, and lamps. You can even use a power strip and turn it on and off to help save energy.

Wash Clothes in Large Loads

According to Energy Star, washing clothes in full loads can save up to 3,400 gallons of water a year. What’s more is the heating process when washing clothes is what causes 90% of energy usage. Only 10% of the energy used is the electricity to run the washer.⁴

It’s important to wash as many clothes as you possibly during laundry loads can to help keep energy costs minimal. Using cold water can also be a great way to save on the amount of energy you use each month.

Line Dry Laundry

A clothes dryer uses approximately 3000 watts of energy during each cycle. Your electric bill can quickly add up, especially if you do multiple loads in the dryer.⁵

One tip to reduce energy is to line dry some of your clothing items. Items such as T-shirts and dresses can be hung on a drying rack or in an open space in your closet rather than going straight into the dryer. Air-drying certain clothing materials such as jeans and workout clothes can also extend their wear. Other items such as towels can be dried outside on a hot day.

Keep Your Fridge Door Closed

Another way to cut your energy costs is to keep your fridge door closed. According to Good Housekeeping, it’s estimated that leaving the fridge door open accounts for 7% of a fridge’s energy use. Opening the door when it is not needed wastes 50-120 Kilowatts a year, which could run a dishwasher 20 times or a washing machine 50 times.⁶

Keeping your fridge door closed can help save on unnecessary energy costs. Another strategy to cut the electric bill on your fridge is to keep it fully stocked, since cold food and drink items help insulate the fridge.

Install Smart Lights

Lighting is estimated to account for 15% of a household’s total energy use.⁷ Installing smart lights can be one way to help reduce your energy costs because they can turn on and off based on motion or a timer.

Some smart lights have the ability to brighten or dim depending on the light coming into the room. This can help save electricity because the lights will only brighten as much as they need to. This can prevent your home from overusing energy to lighten up rooms during the day.

Change to LED Lighting

Incandescent light bulbs are less efficient than LED ones, and making the switch can save you money over time. For example, the 10 years spent operating an incandescent light bulb would cost $66, while an LED light would cost $13.20.⁸ These are massive savings over time that add up when you think of every light bulb in your house.

Many people still use incandescent light bulbs because they are initially cheaper than LEDS. However, LED light bulbs can last 20,000-50,000 hours, which is up to 5 times longer than other types of light bulbs. That makes LED light bulbs a great investment for the next time you need to replace lighting in your house.⁹

Weatherproof the Home

Weather proofing your home is one way you can save on energy costs in the long run. Leaving cracks in the home make it easier for drafts to come in and heat to escape, which will potentially cost you more in the long run on heating and air conditioning.

Make sure to seal all windows and doors to ensure that heat stays in your house. It’s also important to check leaks and cracks are fixed to protect your house from any weather damage. This will help keep your home safe as well as keep the air conditioning inside.

Prevent Excess Water Usage

It is estimated that leaks cause 8.8% of total water energy use across households. The American Water Works Association estimates that if every U.S. household implemented water saving features, water use would decrease by 30%.¹⁰

Reducing leaks in your home can help you save on energy costs while keeping your house energy efficient. It is estimated that you can reduce your water use by 2,700 gallons by installing new shower heads that prevent leaks.¹¹ Replacing leaky faucets and outdated pipes can also help you save on water costs.

Use Efficient Appliances

Your dishwasher, washer, microwave, fridge, and other household appliances may be using more energy than more efficient models. Make sure to check the manuals of your appliances if they’re old and are in need of replacing. Every appliance has an energy star rating from the government that indicates the efficiency of different products.

If you find an appliance that you need to replace, check for brands that are certified as energy efficient by the government. These can help you save money when it comes to household appliances because you will reduce your electric and water bills.

Cut Your Energy Costs Today

Taking steps to cut energy costs can have enormous savings over time. Reducing energy consumption also helps to keep our environments green as you only use the resources you need.

Saber Healthcare is proud to do its part in reducing waste, and our company plans to go paperless by 2023. To learn more about the services we offer, click here.

Saber Healthcare is an organization dedicated to providing consultant services to long term care providers. This article is for informational purposes and is not meant to be seen as professional advice. Please consult with a medical expert before relying on the information provided.

Sources

1. “How Much is the Average Electric Bill?” AP Gas & Electric. Accessed 5 January 2022. Link: https://www.apge.com/average-electric-bill
2. “Air Conditioning Statistics.” Young Energy, Payless Power. 27 July 2021. Accessed 5 January 2022. Link: https://paylesspower.com/blog/air-conditioning-statistics/
3. “The Importance of Unplugging Unused Appliances for Affordable Home Energy.” Shipley Energy. Accessed 5 January 2022. Link: https://www.shipleyenergy.com/resources/efficiency/the-importance-of-unplugging-unused-appliances
4. “Low- to No-Cost Tips for Saving Energy at Home.” Energy Star. Accessed 5 January 2022. Link: https://www.energystar.gov/products/top_10_tips_renters
5. “Electricity usage of a Clothes Dryer.” EnergyUseCalculator. Accessed 5 January 2022. Link: https://energyusecalculator.com/electricity_clothesdryer.htm
6. Aparcio, Selene. “Shut the Fridge Door — You're Wasting Electricity.” Hearst Digital Media, Good Housekeeping. 18 February 2014. Accessed 5 January 2021. Link: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/a19095/refrigerator-door-wastes-energy/
7. “Lighting Choices to Save You Money.” Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, energy.gov. 5 January 2021. Link: https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/lighting-choices-save-you-money
8. “LED vs. Incandescent Lighting: A Cost Comparison.” Hutton Power and Light. 3 October 2019. Accessed 5 January 2022. Link: https://www.huttonpowerandlight.com/blog/2019/october/led-vs-incandescent-lighting-a-cost-comparison/
9. Johnson, Holly. “Light Bulb Showdown: LED vs. CFL vs. Incandescent.” The Simple Dollar. 12 April 2020. Accessed 5 January 2022. Link: https://www.thesimpledollar.com/save-money/the-light-bulb-showdown-leds-vs-cfls-vs-incandescent-bulbs-whats-the-best-deal-now-and-in-the-future/
10. “Water Use Statistics.” DrinkTap. Accessed 5 January 2022. Link: https://drinktap.org/Water-Info/Water-Conservation/Water-Use-Statistics
11. Kelsey Sheehy and Lauren Schwahn. NerdWallet. Accessed 25 August 2020. Link: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/finance/how-to-save-money-on-your-electric-bill