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This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Direct Energy. The opinions and text are all mine.
Save Money on Electricity
Electricity is something you need and the electric bill is something you have to put in your budget each and every month. So how can you reduce your electric bill to free up more money in your budget? There are many small changes you can make that will make a big difference over time.
Check out these 8 tips to save money on your electric bill.
1. The obvious answer would be to use energy saving lightbulbs. CFL light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than a standard incandescent and claim to last ten times longer from 7 to 14 years at 3 hours per day.
LED’s are a bit more expensive but use slightly less energy than a CFL, and their claimed life ranges from 18 to 46 years at 3 hours per day. LED’s are great because they brighten instantly and they have dimmable options.
2. Change the temperature inside your home by turning the air conditioner or furnace up to five degrees above or below your standard setting.
For example, if you normally set your air conditioner to 70 degrees, change it to 75 degrees. You may need to shed your socks and put on shorts or a tank top, but you will see a significantly smaller electric bill. In the winter, wear a sweater or thicker socks before turning down the heat.
Being conservative with your home’s temperature is one of the easiest ways to save energy.
3. Think about changing energy providers! In Rhode Island where I live you use to only have one choice but now thanks to deregulation in Rhode Island, you can now select the energy company you prefer! You are no longer tied with your local utility, like National Grid in Rhode Island. By choosing a provider such as Direct Energy in your Rhode Island home, you can save up to 17% over National Grid Rhode Island’s electricity rate by signing up for one of their fixed-rate electricity plans and in addition to that, you’ll receive rewards from Plenti.
Plenti is a rewards program that lets you earn points at one place and use them at another, all with a single card so that keeping track of your rewards is simple. Earn at least 1,000 points upon signing up with Direct Energy. For more information, visit https://www.directenergy.com/plenti.
4. Use less hot water. Wash clothes with warm or cold water. Only run the dishwasher with a full load, and turn off the “heated dry” cycle; most dishes will dry naturally from the heat remaining inside the dishwasher.
5. Keep the heat out. To reduce your A/C costs during the warmer months, use fans and keep those doors, windows, and shades closed during the day to reduce heat coming in.
6. Choose energy efficient appliances. When buying new appliances, always choose ones that are ENERGY STAR® certified.
7. Install a programmable thermostat. It lowers the setting at night and when no one is home. If you end up going with Direct Energy, they offer a Nest Learning Thermostat for residential customers at no additional cost.
Customers can potentially save a further 10% to 12% on their heating bills and about 15% on their cooling bills by leveraging the Nest Thermostat. Nest learns your schedule and programs itself with features like auto-schedule, auto-away, energy history, and more. How cool is that?
8. Be prepared. Caulk and weather-strip around windows and doors to keep warm air indoors. If you have a really old home or old windows you may consider using plastic over your windows during the winter. They sell kits at most hardware stores and can be installed pretty easily and will hardly be seen if you follow the directions and blow dry the wrinkles out.
How are you saving energy in your home? Add your energy saving tips in the comment box below!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Direct Energy. The opinions and text are all mine.
**Savings refers to the current difference (of up to 17%) between Direct Energy’s 8-month fixed price offer of 6.79¢/kWh and National Grid Rhode Island’s current Fixed Rate for Basic Service of 8.179¢/kWh, and does not include any other component of your electricity bill such as delivery or taxes. National Grid Rhode Island’s fixed rate is effective until March 31, 2017 and may change at that time. There may be no savings following that date. Direct Energy’s rate includes energy charges only and excludes delivery/transmission charges, taxes, and all other utility-related charges.