Saving Money on Your Utility Bills

The main goal is to avoid using your heater when you don’t need it. It sounds simple enough, but many times people unintentionally drive the bill up simply because they aren’t mindful enough. The best thing you can do is simply pay attention to your usage. Below you will find five tips to help you in your goal of saving money on your utility bills:

1. Turn down your thermostat when no one is home. This one is the most obvious and underutilized way to save money. When you leave for class during the day, turn your thermostat down. There’s no use keeping a house warm if no one is home!

2. Wear socks and sweaters around the house. If you wear comfortable and warm clothes around your house, you can reduce the thermostat even when you’re home. Just a couple degrees can mean a big difference in your monthly bill.

3. Have someone come out and check your house for insulation issues. Many states will send out someone from the utilities company to check out the house or apartment you are staying in for free. The person will make sure there are no obvious insulation or wiring issues and give you even more helpful tips on keeping you bill low.

4. Open the blinds during the day and close them at night. Letting the sun in during the day can increase the temperature of your house quite a bit, even when it’s cold outside. Just remember to close them at night though to help insulate against the cold!

5. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater. Having to heat your water contributes to the power bill quite a bit too. Make sure your hot water heater is set low enough that the faucet doesn’t burn you when its on its hottest. There is no reason to heat the water to a temperature that is so high you can’t use it and by turning it down it can ultimately help you in your quest of saving money on your utility bills!

* Icon of four power services thanks to Shutterstock

Posted in Budgeting Tips for International Students