A practical way of
reducing electricity cost is to make sure that all items powered by electricity
are “turned off” when not in use. The following are a few other effective cost
reduction steps that can easily be put into effect. However, it’s possible to
eliminate electrical cost all together. I’ll share more about that a little
later.
Reduce
Phantom Loads by unplugging
items that don’t need to remain plugged in.
“Phantom
Loads”, refer to when appliances continue to draw electricity when they
are "off" or in the standby position. They can draw electricity 24
hours a day and some appliances draw close to full power just to be on standby.
Use compact
fluorescent bulbs.
These bulbs use 70
percent less energy than incandescent without sacrificing any light. And while
lasting up to ten times longer than conventional bulbs, the savings more than
pay for initial costs. Besides changing all of your bulbs, there are other
things you can do. Use daylight for reading, working and living. Evaluate your
light usage. Low wattage task lighting can replace high energy general
overheads. Lighter colors on the walls reflect more light and skylights can be
an added improvement to
Smart Meters and a
Smarter Power Grid.
Millions
of smart meters have been installed across the country. Smart meters provide
two-way communication between you and your utility, helping your utility know
about blackouts, for example. This helps utilities to maintain more reliable
electrical service. Smart meters can be used with home energy management
systems such as Web-based tools that your utility provides or devices that can
be installed in your home. Smart meters can display your home energy use; help
you find ways to save energy and money, and even allow you to remotely adjust
your thermostat or turn appliances off.
Smart meters and home
energy management systems allow customers to program how and when their home
uses energy. Such programs might charge you the actual cost of power at any one
time, ranging from high prices during times of peak demand to low prices during
off-peak hours. If you are able to shift your power use to off-peak times—such
as running your dishwasher late in the evening—these programs can save you
money while helping your utility.
Time-Based
Electricity Rates To help reduce their peak power demands and save money, many utility companies are introducing programs that encourage their customers to use electricity during off-peak hours. The programs pass on the savings to you, the customer, through rebates or reduced electricity rates. Time-based rates are very attractive to owners of plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles since typically these vehicles are recharged at night.
As mentioned, there is a way to eliminate your electric bill all together without installing costly solar panels or constructing a windmill. Click on the banner to learn more...