Saving on an electric bill can be an important part of managing household expenses. There are a few easy things you can do on a day to day basis to modify or cut back on usage, and repairing or replacing appliances may also help you save money. The easiest way to lower your electric bill is to cut back on potentially wasteful power use. Another is to determine whether the cost of electricity in your area is less expensive during certain hours of the day. A long term way of saving on an electric bill is to purchase low energy devices when it is time to replace existing units.
Short term ways of immediately saving on an electric bill involve modifying your usage. Some of the largest sources of power use in many homes include lighting and heating. Leaving lights off during the day can help reduce electric bills, and setting the thermostat lower during daylight hours can have the same effect if you have an electric furnace. At night you can turn lights off in rooms that are not being used, which can also save electricity. Turning off the heat to unused rooms may also produce a savings.
Proper insulation and high quality windows can also help you save on your power bill. Poor insulation or inefficient windows can allow heat to escape, resulting in your furnace running more than it would otherwise need to. Installing insulation and windows can be expensive, but improvements like these may result in a drastic savings on your electric bill over time.
Energy efficient appliances can be another way of saving on an electric bill in the long term. Power saving water heaters, furnaces, refrigerators, and other appliances can create drastic savings over the years. On demand water heaters can also help with a high electric bill, as they do not waste energy heating and reheating large tanks of water. If natural gas is available at your house, replacing an electric furnace or water heater with one that runs on gas can also help with saving on an electric bill.
Depending on the area you live in, you may find that power is less expensive at certain times of day. Many areas have peak and off peak rates, which can help with saving on an electric bill if you time your usage. Running appliances like dishwashers, clothes washers, and dryers during off peak times will not reduce your energy usage, but may lower your electric bill anyway.