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How to Save Money On Your Home Utility Bills

Nobody likes discussing utility bills. It’s almost as dull as accounting. But when you look at averages in North America, the reasons why so many spend too much are mind-melting.

Why would you not want to save money? Well, the good news is that we’re here to help.

Here are a few tried and tested ways to lower your monthly outgoings if you’re wondering how to save money on your bills.

 

Find the Best Deals

Many guides instruct you to change your habits first. But when it comes to utilities, in particular, it’s much easier to find a cheaper deal first than to change a lifetime’s habits. That way, you know you’re paying the cheapest rates or the ones that are the most eco-conscious.

Start with your most expensive bills first. That way, you’ll make the biggest savings quicker and lower your bills a significant amount without lifting a finger!

 

Cut Your Fixed Utilities

Now it’s time to cut your fixed utilities. When you get to your fixed utilities such as home internet or cable TV, be honest with yourself.

Do you need the highest HD bill for your cable TV? Do you need the fastest unlimited home internet plan out there? There isn’t any shame in cutting down on your fixed utilities to save some money.

If you’re moving a lot or going through a rough patch, then this is the time to consider whether you can live with slower internet speeds or fewer channels. Be realistic about what you need and leave yourself plenty of room for growth when your finances turn around.

And if you work from home, see if there’s anything you can claim as a business expense, in full or part-use. You might not be giving yourself that opportunity for tax savings because you didn’t think it was relevant.

 

Cut Your Variable Usage

Reducing your carbon footprint is the classic advice for reducing bills. While it has everyone’s best intentions in mind, we appreciate it’s a challenge for some to “stop turning lights on all the time,” for example.

That said, some life hacks will help you if bad habits exist in your brain. Here are some examples of how you can cut your variable usage.

 

Make Your Home Smart

If you’re the sort of person who has a bad habit of leaving lights and appliances turned on, you can install smart home devices that take care of most energy-saving tasks.

Light bulbs are one of the most common appliances, but now you can buy smart kitchen appliances, plugs, and even the light switches themselves!

But it doesn’t end with electricity. Smart showers have cut-off times to prevent water wastage, while you can buy smart thermostats and radiator valves that watch the heat output on a room-by-room basis. You can save a fortune by only heating up the rooms in your house that need heating.

 

Check Your Appliances

It’s worth noting that all appliances made in the last decade or so are pretty efficient. That said, it’s still worth researching the environmental impact of the appliances you choose to buy, as well as their carbon footprint.

The older the appliance, the less likely it is to save you money. Now, of course, we aren’t suggesting you replace your entire house with new tech.

That wouldn’t be cost-effective! But if your washing machine is 15 years old and you know it’s had its day, then consider future-proofing your home with a new smart washing machine.

In doing this, you’ll save money on your water and electric bills. But you’ll also be future-proofing your home by incorporating smart tech into your household!

 

Choose Your Clothes With Care

Yes, we all know that you can save on your utility bills by ensuring you’re not heating rooms when they don’t need heat. But another way to save is to choose clothes that are multi-season that you can wear more often.

The advantage of this is that not only will it save you money on clothes, but you’ll also be able to layer up in the winter. If you’re comfortable turning down the thermostat by a couple of degrees, then by all means.

There is a limit, though, as having your house too cold can trigger health issues. Your comfort and health are always a priority over the financial savings to be had. So don’t go overboard with this money-saving tip!

 

Get Smart With Energy

Energy is an important part of the utility bill equation. When it comes to your energy usage, you want to be measuring your home’s power quality.

By looking at how much energy it takes to heat and cool your home, you’ll be able to see where areas for improvement exist. You can also do a simple test by closing some doors and using fewer lights – this should have a noticeable impact on your energy bills over time.

Once again, if you know yourself to be a lazy energy-waster, wearable technology can also help. Smart thermostats like the Nest thermostat or Ecobee thermostat gauge your energy usage.

Then, they schedule temperature changes for you after certain times of the day. Some like the Tado have geolocation which turns the heating off when you’re away!

 

Add Energy-Saving Features to Your Home’s Structure

Structural renovations such as cavity wall insulation, solar panels, and heat pumps can appear to have a high outlay. But when you look at the numbers, it starts to become clear that they’re worth a lot more than you might think.

You have to consider things like how much the durability will be worth or how much your energy bills cut down after the installation is over.

It’s also worth considering how much these enhancements will cost you over the long term! It’s like buying an investment vehicle because it is an investment in your home! Compare that to the initial outlay, and you’ll start to see some significant value cost.

You’ll use less energy and thus reduce your utility bills. But also, if you decide to move, your home can have a higher energy performance rating, which in turn increases the value of the home.

That’s because the new owners will be buying into a home with cheaper bills than their counterparts so that they may pay a little extra for the privilege.

 

Know Your Habits

If you’re reading this blog, then you might be a little bit obsessed with energy-saving. But also knowing when you’re breaking the rules can be an important part of paying your bills.

Don’t completely cut water wastage, for example. But do make sure to take shorter showers and limit the number of times you flush toilets in a day.

The same goes for electricity. Don’t leave old appliances on standby. They don’t have the same power-saving features as newer ones. And, if possible, turn off unused plugs.

 

Stay Warm in Winter and Cool in Summer

Let’s not forget the other little hacks that can help reduce your utility bills. Carpet, for example, is better at insulating than a wooden floor. But come the summer, you might find you’re spending more money cooling the house down than before. So, depending on where you live, if you have a cold room in the house, consider carpeting the floor.

You can also install non-intrusive measures yourself, such as window film. These window clings keep UV rays out of the home. So if you have a room that becomes an oven in the summer, you can save money on your HVAC system.

Install window films to keep some of that heat out. It also has the reverse effect in the winter too!

 

Other Ways to Save On the Utility Bills

The above represents a few ways to save money on your utility bills, but there are plenty of other unique ways to save as well. Knowing your actual energy usage is a big part of thinking outside the box.

And the best way to do that is through a smart power check. This gadget plugs into any socket and will give you an accurate reading of your energy usage in kilowatts (kWh).

Take a look at your energy consumption over the last six months or so and work out your average usage. If you can’t remember how much energy you use, call your utility company. They’ll be able to help you out.

Once you know how much energy you use each month, it will be easier to tell whether a change can happen or not. If your electricity bill is higher than normal, it could have something to do with climate control and insulation in your home.

 

Save Your Utility Bills From Going Through the Roof

Whatever your circumstances, there isn’t a person on the planet that doesn’t like saving money. After all, it allows you to build for a better future not only for yourself but for those around you as well. And, at the same time, you’ll be saving the planet!

If you’ve decided that now’s the time to invest in solar panels or insulation, or even your smart home, get in touch today and see if we can provide you with the perfect loan for cutting your home utility bills!

Get your online loan, paperless & fast.

Quick Personal Loans for Canadians :

  • No credit investigation
  • No documents required
  • Repay in up to 90 to 120 days
  • $500 short-term loans
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Get your online loan, paperless & fast.

Quick Personal Loans for Canadians :

  • No credit investigation
  • No documents required
  • Repay in up to 90 to 120 days
  • $500 short-term loans
APPLY FOR A LOAN