Getting your electric bill down.

[moneysense]

I have finally gotten my electric bill down to around $100. a month and that is down from around $200 or higher. How did I do it? Here are some suggestions that I have personally used.

I have made sure to unplug all cell phone and game chargers after use as it is a known fact that they do leach electricity even when not in use. And I have a surge protector with an on and off switch in which my computer etc is plugged and turn it off when the computer etc is not in use as the computer also consumes electricity when shut off.

I use 40 watt bulbs every where I can in order to save money on electricity as these bulbs are not used to read by etc.

I have turned my thermostat down. Now theres a big savings with the furnace not running as much.

All baths are limited entirely to showers now and that helps save as the water tank running consumes a lot of energy.

Clothes are washed in cold water only and the dryer is checked periodically and most times does not have to run a complete cycle to competely dry the clothes.

Also cleaning the lint etc from the dryer periodically can help the clothes dry faster, by this I mean under the lint filter and out of the vent. Plus this prevents possible fires.

I use the microwave and crockpot to do most cooking these days and that can add up to a significant savings also.

Do you have tips for saving on your electric bills? If so, please share them.

[moneysense]

I was reading a report in Consumer Magazine that says that if you use the new CFI bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs, you can save $400 on your electric bill over the life of the bulb.

I found these bulbs on sale at Walmart for 97 cents a 6 pack of bulbs and got 4 packages of them which is more than enough to change all my bulbs over to the new CFI b bulbs.

And after I do, I will wait till March and let you know if it helped cut the cost of my bill down any.

[moneysense]

I have changed the bulbs in my home and at first, I didnt like the CFI bulbs in lamps by which I would be reading but after a week or so of having the new bulbs, I have found that the light from them is not as harsh and much easier on the eyes.

Plus, I have a light over my kitchen sink and one in another room that are left on at night and am really anxious to see if these bulbs will save money in the long run.

Now Ive just got to remember to turn off my computer completely and unplug other gadgets that do suck up electricity and perhaps I will finally see a bigger savings.