25 energy-saving tips to help lower your electric bill

There are lots of devices in a home that use energy and can raise the cost of your monthly electricity bill. The best ways to lower your electric bill includes using energy-efficient lighting, optimizing heating and cooling, upgrading appliances and changing daily energy habits. These 25 simple ways to save energy at your home or apartment helps homeowners and renters reduce electricity use year-round, without sacrificing comfort.

1. Change your light bulbs to energy-efficient LEDs

Start your energy-saving journey by making the switch and updating the light bulbs in your home. Unscrew those incandescent light bulbs and replace them with LED light bulbs. LED bulbs use less energy to emit light than incandescent ones, so by swapping out those bulbs, you'll start seeing the savings on your energy bill.

2. Use natural light when possible

Open up curtains and blinds to let natural light in during the day. The more natural light you have coming in, the less you need to keep the lights on indoors, helping you save electricity during the day.

3. Turn off lights when they're not in use

Keep up with your energy-saving habits by turning off the lights after you leave the room. Lighting your home efficiently can help lower your electricity bill, even after new LED bulbs are installed.

4. Control your fixtures with a photocell or a timer 

You can use timers to ensure dusk-to-dawn-only operation of your indoor and outdoor lights. We’ve all fallen asleep with the light on before, but now you can set your lamps to a night timer to easily ensure you're not wasting electricity overnight.  

5. Unplug appliances to save electricity

One of the simplest ways to reduce your energy usage is to be conscious of which appliances in your home are plugged in, but not in use. Devices that are plugged in can still use electricity even if the device itself is turned off — also known as phantom power or energy vampires. You can limit phantom power by plugging multiple devices into a power strip and turning it off when they’re not in use. 

Working from home? Don't leave your electronics on all day long. Only turn on your computer, monitor, printer and fax machine when you need them.

6. Set your thermostat to 78°F in the summer and 68°F in the winter

Every degree of extra cooling can increase energy usage 6% to 8%. According to the Department of Energy, setting your thermostat to a lower temperature than normal won't cool your home faster. They suggest saving up to 10% per year on heating and cooling by adjusting your thermostat by 7°F to 10°F for 8 hours daily.

7. Use your home’s ceiling fans

Using your ceiling fans will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort.

8. Install a smart thermostat 

Consider installing a smart thermostat that can learn to automatically adjust the temperature of your home according to your schedule.

9. During warmer months, close blinds, shades and drapes 

If you rely on light fixtures rather than natural light, closing blinds, shades and drapes on the sunny side of your home can help keep your home's temperature cooler and reduce the work for your A/C. Open shades during cooler months to let the sun warm your home. 

10. Dress for the weather

When you're at home, dress in warm clothing in the winter and cooler clothing in the summer to stay comfortable without making your heater and A/C work harder.
 

11. Use your microwave instead of your stove when cooking

Using your microwave instead of your stove can help you reheat food safely while reducing electricity usage to keep your kitchen cooler.

12. Don't peek in the oven while baking 

Every time you peek, the temperature can drop 25°F, making your oven use more energy to bring the temperature back up.

13. Turn off the oven a few minutes before cooking time runs out

Turn off the oven just a few minutes before your food is ready. Residual heat can help you finish cooking without using extra electricity.

14. Wash clothes in cold water

Switching from warm water to a cold wash and rinse laundry cycle instead can help you save 3.2 kilowatt hours per load–enough to power a refrigerator for over 300 days!

15. Turn off heated dry on your dishwasher 

Air drying your dishes instead of using the heated dry setting can help you save about 30% to 50% more energy.

16. Air seal your home

Sealing cracks, gaps and leaks and adding insulation can save up to 10% on home heating and cooling costs.

17. Clean or replace all filters in your home regularly

Dirty air filters make your HVAC work harder and run longer than necessary. Depending on the size of your home, you should clean or replace A/C air filters every 1 to 3 months.

18. Consider replacing old or broken windows

If your home has single-pane windows, consider replacing them with more energy-efficient windows or adding solar shades or tinting film.

19. Don't leave the bathroom or kitchen ventilation fans running 

Turn off ventilation fans in the kitchen or bathroom so they don’t end up running longer than necessary. They replace inside air with outside air.

20. Defrost your refrigerator and freezer 

You usually don’t need to worry about defrosting newer refrigerators and freezers, but if you notice ice buildup, defrosting can help ensure your appliances run efficiently.

21. Use dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers at night 

Using your dishwasher, washing machine and dryer at night can help keep the house cooler and spread out energy use.

22. Don't leave your mobile phone plugged in overnight 

It only takes about 30 minutes to 2 hours to charge the average phone. As soon as your phone is done charging, remove it from the outlet to avoid using unnecessary energy once it’s fully charged.

23. Keep your refrigerator and freezer as full as possible

Refrigerators and freezers actually operate most efficiently when full, so keep them as full as possible (use water bottles if nothing else). But be careful about overfilling them, as this can reduce airflow and cause the appliance to work harder.

24. Watch where you place appliances

Avoid placing appliances that give off heat, such as lamps or TVs, near a thermostat. Extra heat from nearby devices can cause the thermostat to read the room as warmer than it actually is, triggering heating or cooling when it’s not needed.

25. Set refrigerator temperature to the manufacturer's recommendation

To avoid excessive cooling, turn to your refrigerator’s manufacturer for recommended settings to help keep food fresh while using energy more efficiently.

Small steps for consistent savings

Whether you own or rent, using less energy at home can help you save money. Making your home more energy efficient doesn’t have to mean major renovations or expensive upgrades. Small, consistent changes can add up to big savings over time. Little things like replacing traditional light bulbs with LEDs, unplugging idle electronics or installing a smart thermostat can make a big impact on your energy usage and costs over time. By following simple tips like those you've found here, you can start to more consistently lower your electricity costs.