How to Reduce Electrical Bills This Holiday Season
People always look forward to the holiday season, but many don’t realize that this is also one of the most expensive times of the year. If you’re looking for a way to save money on your electric bill during this holiday season, then keep reading. In this article, we’ll go over some simple ways that you can cut back and decrease your monthly expenses.
Use LED Bulbs
One of the easiest ways to save money on your electricity bill is to use LED bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs. These days, you can buy a four-pack of LED bulbs for less than $30, and they will last around 10 times longer than regular lightbulbs. This alone can give you huge savings if you switch all of your standard lightbulbs to LED bulbs.
LED bulbs are low-wattage bulbs that last up to five times longer than your standard lightbulbs. This means you won’t have to change the lightbulb in your home nearly as often. Best of all they are highly efficient and will help you save money on your electric bill.
Use Less Electricity
If you’re going to have a party, why not have it during the day? On the other hand, if you want a nighttime event, then consider having a Christmas light show instead. Many people leave their homes lit up all the time with these electric lights, and it seems that they always leave them on. Be sensible and conserve energy and money by turning the lights off when you do need them.
If you want to leave on the lights, then there are easy ways to cut back on electricity easily. For example, use a timer to turn off your lights when you go to bed or when you are away from home. It’s recommended that you don’t keep your Christmas lights on for more than six hours at a time. This will help cut back on your electricity bill and will prolong the life of the bulbs.
Check Your Electrical Box
Many people have no idea how many devices are plugged into their electrical box at once. It’s recommended that you use a power strip to protect your devices and this helps with saving electricity. Using a power strip can cut down on the amount of energy used by all of your items. For example, if you have seven devices or appliances plugged into separate individual outlets, you are using up to 10 times more energy than if you use one power strip. If you need your electrical box checked in Seattle, reach out to Brennan Electric in Seattle for a home inspection.
Use Standby Power
If you can, avoid using devices that are on standby power all the time. Things like microwaves and computers use more electricity than they do when being used for their intended purposes. Each item running on standby power uses up to 10% of your home’s energy each year, so try to avoid using these items or at least unplug them when they are not in use.
Smart thermostats are great because they can be programmed to fit your needs. For example, if you’re going to be home all day, the temperature can be turned up, and when you leave for work or school, it will turn down to a lower setting. This alone could cut your electric bill down by up to 30%!
Use a Surge Protector
If you have sensitive equipment, then it’s recommended that you use surge protectors for them. Many people don’t think about this because they aren’t used to anything happening to their home or business during the holiday season. However, thousands of houses are hit by lightning every year, and a surge protector could go a long way in protecting your sensitive equipment from damage.
Put Your Live Christmas Tree Outside
Many people want to put their live Christmas tree up for weeks at a time. Instead, you should wait a couple of days before Christmas before putting up your trees. This will keep the tree looking fresh longer and conserve energy.
Unplug Appliances When Not in Use
Unplugging unused appliances is one of the easier things you can do to save money, but many people don’t think about unplugging them. Having appliances plugged in all day or week may subject them to power surges, which can lead to damage. Most items will still operate at their standard-setting regardless of whether they are plugged in. By unplugging appliances when they are not in use, you will ensure they don’t draw any energy from the outlet.
Turn Off Your Outside Holiday Lights at Night
Many people like to leave on their outside Christmas lights and other holiday decorations all night long. However, this is a bad idea for a couple of reasons. For one thing, leaving lights on throughout the night will use up a lot of energy. In addition, leaving lights when you are away from home or asleep on can make your home more prone to break-ins and robberies because it will be much easier for prospective robbers to see inside your home.
Wearing Warmer Clothing
One of the biggest mistakes people make during the winter months is not wearing enough layers of clothing to keep warm. You can turn down your thermostat by a few degrees to conserve energy and put on extra layers of clothing to keep warm. Doing this will help you save more money on your electric bill.
You may not realize this, but an electric heater uses a lot of electricity to operate. In fact, for every six hours that you have it on, you could use as much as one month’s worth of energy.
Install Insulation in Your Home
This may be a more costly solution, but insulation is probably one of the most important things you can do to cut down on your energy costs. This is because insulation helps seal off areas of your home that are open and don’t have proper sealant around them. By sealing these places up, you will keep out both warm and cold air.
While insulation may cost you more initially, it will save you a ton of money in the long run because your energy costs won’t be so high. Moreover, installing insulation is relatively easy, and you can do it yourself by following simple instructions. If you feel uncomfortable installing the insulation, you can reach out to Brennan Electric and one of our skilled technicians will install it for you. A well-insulation home can cut your energy bills by up to 30% or more each month.
Contact Professionals
To learn more about how to reduce your energy cost in Seattle and the surrounding area this holiday season, reach out to Brennan Electric. Our dependable service technicians are available 24/7 to fix your electrical problems. We also provide electrical panels, generators, lighting installation, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and more. Call us today to schedule an appointment.
