12 Ways To Save On Utilities
Five Cent Nickle has 12 Ways to Save On Utilities, some of them we've mentioned before but it's a nice round up. Why should you care?
"One thing (of many) that stood out to me is that we've spent an average of $141/month on utilities (gas, water, electric) during that period (it was much lower early on, and considerably higher more recently). That doesn't sound like a huge amount, but consider this... Over a ten year period that works out to roughly $17k -- that's a pretty nice chunk of change."
Yikes!—MEGHANN MARCO
12 Simple Ways to Save Money on Utilities (and the Planet) [Five Cent Nickle]
Post a comment
Comments:
Actually - it only works out to be about 13,293 if you figure in the Time Value of Money - and had invested that money in a 5% account.
Repeat after me. A dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow.
> (1) Replace your incandescent light bulbs
> with compact fluorescent bulbs
I honestly don't like these things. They take a few seconds to warm up, they generate a high pitch buzzing sound, and they shine an awful color of light. And like all fluorescent lighting, they contain trace amounts of mercury. For me, the negatives outweigh the positives. I would only use these for outdoor lighting, to light up the porch or walkways.
I think LED lighting will become more popular as production costs drop. They use less energy than either fluorescent or incandescent lighting, they produce very little heat (if any), and they last a long time.
If you live in an apt that uses electic heating, make sure to turn off the master switch to the "hot water" before you leave for work/class. You can always turn it back on when you get in. Apparently, that cut down my electric bill by a whopping 50% and I kid you not.
yeah, the water tank consumes a lot, so does the water pump if you have a well. Dead of winter, and I'm getting $35 electric bills as opposed to $80-100 ones. Of course I have no water, but I'm getting by, there's a shower at work, and I buy it by the gallon at the 25 cent machine at the gas station until I can afford to get my well redone. Flush with a bucket, woot!
I have installed Grainger switch timers on lights that get left on frequently even though I use flor lights. The switches are around $20 each but they insure no lights get left on. They fit in your regular switch plate. The first month I used them my elect bill dropped $20. They were obviously a good investment. The only complaint is from my wife. She hates having to "dial" in her time to turn on a light. Shes the one who left them on all the time to.
LRR, don't get me started on compact fluorescent bulbs again. The short version is "they're way better than they used to be, even a few years ago."
CF bulbs only pay for themselves if they last their rated lifetime. I've never bought one that did.
Instead of displacing water in your tank, get an adjustable toilet valve like this:
Low flow shower heads: only good if you linger in the shower already. Otherwise they extend the time it takes to shower. Like the old humor article on the Onion "New Toilet Uses Half the Water, Must be Flushed 3 times"
Don't put a brick in your toilet. Bricks disintegrate. I use a toilet with an adjustable float (I assume all are these days) and a glass jar filled with water.