The BIG List: Simple Actions to Save You Money on Utilities
Pay Less and Be More Energy Efficient
We’ve divided this information into 3 sections:
If your heat is included in your rent but you are still cold in winter or too hot in summer there are still things you can do. Look at the simple actions below under #2: heating and cooling.
1. Simple actions to help you save on your Electricity bill
If you are replacing items choose EnergyStar rated appliances.
Additional Resource: About Energy Star
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If you have a dishwasher, use it! Run full loads whenever possible and if you can buy efficient dishwashers that will save you money with each load.
Air dry your dishes in the dishwasher instead of hot air setting
Pick the right cycle for the dishes you are washing.
Make sure you load your dishwasher well so that they get clean the first time. Overfilling your dishwasher is also a common mistake. Don’t cover dishes with other dishes.
Scrape leftover food into the garbage (better yet, compost it!) don’t rinse.
See the tips below for how to hand wash dishes efficiently.
Additional resource: Dish Washing and Saving Water
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Grill/cook outdoors in the summer if you are air conditioning the space.
Use your refrigerator to defrost over time if you can vs using the microwave.
Fit the pan to the size of the amount of food if you can. That way you won’t be heating a larger pan than you need. Additionally, match the size of the pan to the heating element when cooking.
Copper and aluminum pans are more conductive to heat so if you have them use them!
Turn off the burner when an item is almost done - ie: in the case of eggs - when they are 80% done - turn off the burner and the residual heat in the pan and perhaps the stove if it is electric - will finish the cooking .
Turn off the oven before your food is fully cooked.
For the same meal an air fryer typically uses less energy than an oven.
When using a stove or oven, putting a lid on the pan or pot can prevent heat from escaping and help food cook faster, saving both energy and time.
Use induction for cooking - they use 10% less electricity than conventional electric cooktops. If you have a gas stove, an induction stove will improve your air quality.
Using toaster ovens or convection ovens for small meals rather than your large oven. A toaster or convection oven uses one-third to one-half as much energy as a full-sized oven.
Don’t open the oven - turn on the light - peak through.
If you can change out your stove - consider a full size induction stove - there could be state or federal rebates as well.
Additional Resources:
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Try to avoid opening the refrigerator door more than you need to – plan your trips to the fridge! This will help you conserve energy and is a great example of how to reduce electric bill costs in the kitchen.
Let warm food cool before putting it in the fridge (to room temp or put outside on a cold winter day)
Check to make sure the coils on your refrigerator are clean.
Check that the refrigerator and freezer door seals are tight
Make sure the refrigerator is not near heat sources such as over a heat vent, in direct sunlight, or by other appliances (stove, dishwasher, etc.) if possible.
Make sure the refrigerator is level and doors are properly aligned.
Additional Resource:
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Shut down your computer or printer when not in use. (Phantom loads is electricity that is used by items that are plugged in and on to some degree but we are not actively using them) To do the above use a surge protector power strip with digital time control to shut things down like your computer and printer when not in use.
Sleep mode (or standby) when not in use - set it for like 5 min - adjust other settings like brightness - the brighter it is the more energy it uses.
If you use a laptop - only plug in when needing a charge. Tip: Unlike desktop computers, laptops don’t need to be plugged in 100% of the time and are generally more energy-efficient.
Same for a phone and other devices. Unplug devices and chargers when they hit 100%
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Review your cable plan - if you can get rid of cable you get rid of a box that is consuming energy. Cable boxes are on 24-7 and use a lot of energy. If you have a cable box - get the newest energy saving model.
If you are not watching it or listening to it, turn it off. Get a smart power strip or timer to shut off TVs especially those with higher phantom loads - or just unplug. A phantom load is when a device (a lot of entertainment devices) keep drawing power in standby mode. In fact, the worst offenders of phantom loads in your house are typically related to entertainment systems: TVs, cable boxes, video game systems, audio systems, phone/device charges, and other related equipment are the most likely sources of phantom loads in your home.
Turn off gaming devices when not in use. Standby mode for gaming equipment can consume more energy than you might think.
Adjusting the brightness down does have an effect on power use.
The older the device the more electricity it uses especially when it is plugged in but not being used. Unplug these special ones until you want to use them. Make sure to get rid of old devices that are still plugged in but you are not using anymore.
Lastly, getting rid of a land line phone would reduce usage as well.
Additional Resource: What is a phantom load?
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Reuse your bath towels multiple days instead of washing each day and rewear clothes instead of washing after each wear.
Hang clothes to dry - especially during the winter when the humidity is low- buy a little standing clothes rack for inside.
Use cold water cycles
Adjust dryer times; try not to “over dry”
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Use LED lights/bulbs. Replace incandescent and CFL bulbs with LED
Turn off lights when you leave the room or install motion sensor light switches
Use solar-powered lights for landscape
Use motion lights instead of keeping outdoor lights on all night
Additional resource: LED vs CFL: Which Lightbulb Is Most Energy Efficient
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Go to the below section on Heating and Cooling for savings ideas.
2. Simple actions to help save on heating and cooling costs
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Keeping your space well insulated is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce your heating/cooling bill. (Insulating is often called weatherization.)
Rebates and incentives are available to weatherize your building. Start by signing up for a no cost Home Energy Assessment. Please go to this Mass Save page for further information. If you are renting please tell your landlord about the program.
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When heating or cooling your apartment, make sure windows are fully closed and locked to help reduce heat/cool loss
Curtains and blinds can help keep your apartment warm or cool. The thicker they are/the better they cover the window, the better they will work.
In the winter:
Use seasonal insulation (weather strips, plastic window insulation covering) to reduce drafts.(Ace Hardware video for how to)
Add window caulking cord (Home Depot example)
Remove window A/C units, they are not nearly as well insulated as a fully closed window
Keep shades up on sunny days (especially on south facing walls) to help warm home, then close shades after sunset to reduce heat loss
4.In the summer:
Keep shades down on hot days to keep the sun from heating your apartment
Open your windows after it is cool and use a box fan to move air through your house.
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When heating/cooling your space, make sure exterior doors are full closed and locked to prevent heat/cool loss
Replace weather stripping if worn to reduce drafts
In the winter:
Get a door snake to help prevent cold air from coming in at the bottom of the door.
Consider covering any doors you will not use during the winter (for example, sliding glass door to balcony) with plastic insulation covering
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Close fireplace dampers and/or insulate unused flues
Cover drafty, unused outlets
Additional Resource: Why Seal and Insulate? | ENERGY STAR
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Rather than keeping your space at 72 all year, consider what is a comfortable temperature for you. Could you turn your thermostat down to 65 in the winter and up to 74 in the summer? A difference of a few degrees makes a significant difference in energy use.
For example, on a 30 degree day lowering your thermostat from 70 to 65 degrees would reduce your energy usage by about 15% per day (each degree lowered would reduce energy usage by about 3% per day or 1% per 8 hours).
On an 80 degree day, raising your thermostat from 72 to 74 degrees would reduce your energy usage by about 6% per day (each degree raised would reduce energy usage about 3% per day, or 1% per 8 hours).
It is a common misconception that it takes more energy to heat or cool space rather than leave at constant temp. As a space gets closer to the temp of the outside space it loses (or gains) heat more slowly.
Smart thermostats / Scheduling
Set schedules so you are not overheating/cooling when you don’t need to (i.e. sleeping or not home)
If you don’t have a smart thermostat simply turn heat down when you leave and turn back up when you get home
*Always keep thermostat at 55 degrees or higher in winter to minimize risk of pipes freezing
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Have a ceiling fan? Make sure it’s rotating in proper direction: Summer - counterclockwise wise to “push” air down / Winter - clockwise to “pull” air up
Summer: Put a box fan in your window at night to cool off the house after the outdoor temperatures have cooled down. During the day close the windows and keep the cool air in. Additionally, use a fan to move the heat away from your body!
Winter: Use a fan to make sure heat is moved around your space.
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Reduce heating/cooling of rooms that are not being used
Close vents (or turn off radiators) in unused rooms
Close door to rooms
Be mindful of where your thermostat is. If it is in room with vents closed it will continue heating your apartment until it reaches the set temperature making the rest of the house much hotter
*Make sure rooms with water pipes (kitchen, bathrooms) stay warm so pipes do not freeze
Use a small space heater to warm up the room you are in rather than turn up thermostat to warm up the entire apartment
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Add or remove clothing layers rather than change the temperature setting on your thermostat
Get a microwavable rice/corn bag to bring to bed with you and warm your feet.
Hot water bottle for when you're lounging about.
An electric blanket might be more efficient than heating your whole room.
Resources: How to keep warm this winter: cost-effective tips
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Have your heating and cooling systems (i.e. furnace, heat pump, central air, etc.) serviced each year. A well maintained system uses less energy to run.
3. Learn about electricity and how to calculate your appliances’ usage (and cost)
Use the following 2 tools to help you figure out how much your appliances are costing to run. Just like your credit card bill - it all adds up!
First, the government has a great Appliance Energy Calculator and explanations on how to find how many watts your device uses, and ultimately how much it costs.
Appliance Energy Calculator
Pick your appliance
Use the wattage they provide or find it on your appliance. See the explanation on their page for how to find or determine the wattage of your device.
Pick a utility rate that is close to what you are paying here in Beverly.
Select your hours per day and how many days.
Second, use a device that measure know how much electricity an item in your home is using.
These Electrical Usage Monitors are the cheapest way to calculate each item’s usage and cost. Plug the device into the receptacle, plug your item into the device and begin learning! (they range from $10-$20)
Electricity Basics & Terminology:
Your electric bill is in kWh: Kilowatt-hour, a basic unit of electricity used. If you break that down….
Watt(W) - a watt is a unit of power that measures the rate at which energy is consumed or produced.
Watt/hr - measures power consumed per unit of time.
Kilowatt (kW) - is one thousand watts.
Ex: if you use a 100 watt light bulb for 10 hours (100w x 10hr = 1000w/hr), you’ve consumed 1000 watt-hours of energy, or 1 kWh
Example calculation for an AC window unit:
If you use a 1500 watt AC for 24 hours (1500w x 24hr = 36,000w/hr), you’ve consumed 36,000 watt-hours of energy, or 36 kWh in one day. (36,000 divided by 1000)
If you were to use your AC for 20 days (24 hours each day) in the month of July.
20 days x 36kWh per day = 720kWh x $ .1527 per/kWh = $109.94