Owning a home is a wonderful privilege, but paying for maintenance and upkeep isn’t high on anyone’s list of joyful activities. The good news is there are many ways you can save money every month without expending a lot of money or effort.
Use these tips to save up to several hundred dollars on the expenses all homeowners face:
- Insulate Your Water Heater
You can buy an insulation blanket to wrap your water heater for under $30 in most places, but the savings on your energy bill can be substantial.
Insulating your water heater can reduce the amount of energy you lose every month by 45%. This translates into a utility bill that is consistently 7%–16% lower. For the typical household, this means a savings of about $125 every year. - Monitor Your Electric Usage
You can save on your monthly electricity bill simply by monitoring your usage. There are many affordable electricity monitors that track either the energy usage of a certain device or your current energy consumption and cost.
Some monitors are designed so that you can plug a device into the monitor to see how much electricity it uses. That allows you to determine which appliances or devices are energy hogs. Then you can gauge how often you want to use them or opt for a more energy-saving version.
Other monitors monitor the usage on your outdoor electric meter and display real-time data about current consumption and cost on an LED screen inside your home. When you notice the numbers climbing, you’ll be reminded to turn off those extra lights or otherwise decrease your power consumption. - Install LED Light Bulbs
LED lights used to be pricey, but the prices have dropped dramatically in the last few years. They are very affordable now. The savings they provide on your monthly electric bill are definitely worth it.
According to the Department of Energy, a traditional light bulb would cost an average of $8.87 to use per year, but if you replaced each one with an LED light bulb, it would only cost you $1.95 a year. That’s a 78% savings on your lighting electricity consumption! - Use Programmable or Smart Thermostats
Programmable thermostats can substantially reduce your monthly energy bills. They’re relatively inexpensive, and they allow you to turn your thermostat down automatically whenever you’re away or while you’re sleeping.
Smart Thermostats take it a step further by allowing you to manage your thermostat anywhere using your phone, tablet, or computer. They “learn” about your behaviors and adjust themselves accordingly. They can even adjust themselves based on other conditions, like humidity. - Close Vents in Rooms You Don’t Use
This tip is so simple, but how many people actually use it? Everyone has rooms that don’t get used very often, so it makes sense to close the heating vents in those rooms. This allows you to only heat the parts of the house that you actually use. - Use Surge Protectors
Surge protectors are wonderful for protecting your electronics should an electrical surge occur, but they’re even more awesome at enabling you to easily unplug devices you aren’t using.Many appliances and devices will use electricity even when they’re powered off. However, if you plug everything into surge protectors, you can simply flip the switch on the protector to cut off power to your devices when you’re not using them. It’s a lot easier than walking around plugging and unplugging devices one by one.
Being a homeowner is great, but being a smart Los Angeles or Las Vegas NV homeowner is even better read our Sellers Advantage reviews. Use these tips to make sure you’re not throwing away your money on unnecessary household expenditures.
And, if you decide to sell your home fast for cash, you can save time by contacting Seller’s Advantage online or calling us at 1-800-208-3243 to get a no-cost, no-obligation quote on your home. We purchase homes in AS-IS condition and can give you a cash offer in as little as 24 hours. After all, time is money.