Tips to Reduce Your Electric Bill

Tips to Reduce Your Electric Bill

It's that time of year again, when you may not like opening up your electric bill if you're not careful with your power usage. However, there are some things you can do to conserve energy and help lower your electric bill. Florida Realtors® recently published an article* with several tips to reduce your power bill. Here's a recap of some of the energy-saving tips from the article:

Air conditioning: Around 40-50% of your home's energy usage results from running your air conditioner. So instead of setting your thermostat to 70-74 degrees this summer, keep it closer to 75 to 78 degrees while you are home and bump it up a little while you're gone, especially if you don't have pets. Even better, if you have a programmable or smart thermostat, you can change your temperatures automatically based on your schedule.

Insulation and leaks: Check your windows and doors for air leaks or gaps, and weatherstrip or caulk any gaps you find.

Phantom energy: Some electronics may consume energy even when not "on". Some culprits may be chargers, TVs, gaming consoles, and espresso machines. The quick solution is either unplug the items when you are not using them or plug them into smart power strips that shut off the power when the device is not in use.

LED bulbs: Switch out your incandescent bulbs for LED bulbs, which use 75% less power, and yes, always turn off lights when you leave the room.

Laundry: Consider whether you need to run your washer and dryer daily or use hot water. The more you cut down on this, the more it will save you.

Hot showers: Heating water will cost you, so take shorter, less hot showers.

With some small and easy changes, you can likely see a smaller hike in your electric bill this summer and still feel comfortable!  

Wooddell, Brody, Lowering Your Power Bill, May 12, 2025, Florida Realtors®, https://www.floridarealtors.org/news-media/news-articles/2025/05/lowering-your-power-bill