Super Cheap Electricity Blog

Using electricity sensibly can definitely help you get more value for the money that you spend on energy. It will also help in conserving natural resources and reduces the influence energy use has on the environment. Follow the energy saving tips and advice that can be to use throughout the year, in order to gain more control over your energy use at home.

Here are several things you can do to save electricity in your home:

• Be certain to turn off all the lights whenever you leave a room. Do not forget to turn off any electrical appliances when you leave a room such as TV, computers, stereos, radios, video games, DVD players etc. In case you go away on a trip, be sure to unplug these same electrical appliances, reason being these appliances have stand-by functions that consume electricity even when they are turned off.

• Keep your furniture and other things away from the front of heating and air conditioning vents. Always keep all doors and windows closed whenever heat or air conditioning is running.

• By installing a programmable thermostat will keep your house at the correct temperature day and night. Programmable thermostats can lessen your cooling and heating bills up to 10% reason being it will help lower the heat or raise the air conditioning when you are not at home.

• Ensure how much electricity your water heater consumes. In case it consumes more than other models of water heaters, use instead a more efficient one. Install insulation all over the pipes going in and out of your water heater. In case you have an older water heater, put an insulated blanket around it. Also remember to turn off your water heater if you are going out of town for more than a couple days.

• Replace your furnace filter at least once a year or even more if possible. Usually filters get clogged up with dirt and dust that circulate in a house. This basically means that air will have more difficult time passing through the filter, and in return your furnace has to work mush harder in order to heat the house.

• You can also try holding a ribbon or feather close to windows and doors to check if there are any drafts. In case there are, place a weather stripping or caulking in order to keep the outside air out and the air conditioning or heating air in.

• Try and turn off the water whenever you are brushing your teeth or taking a short shower. This will just not save water, but also it will save the electricity required to pump and heat the water.

• Make sure you use daylight hours instead of turning on lights and lamps. Make use of one big light bulb rather than using a few small ones. For example one 100-watt light bulb will gives out more light and consume less energy and than two 60-watt bulbs.

• Make use of fluorescent light bulbs as they use 75% less energy and even last longer than incandescent light bulbs. Try and use light bulbs that are low in wattage in areas of your house where you don’t require bright light. Also do not forget to keep the outdoor lighting turned off during the day.

• Regularly vacuum the coils of your refrigerator in order to lower your energy bill and to keep the condenser working better. Always cool you food to room temperature before putting them into the refrigerator.

• Try and prepare several food dishes in the oven together. Do not open the oven door until the food is done with cooking. Remember to defrost the food before you bake or microwave it.

• Always wash full loads of clothing rather than smaller ones. Try and use cold water for washing and rinsing the clothes. Do not forget to cleanse the lint filter of your dryer after every load. Always dry only full loads of clothes. Dry one load after the other because this will use less energy since the dryer is already hot. Remember to stop the dryer as soon as the clothes are dry.

Today in any business wherever electricity is used. The use of electricity accounts to about 40 percent of the total cost of business. Making use of efficient technologies at work will help increase profitability by lowering costs.

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It is never too good to have rooms that are full of drafts that make your home too cold. This puts a lot of pressure on your heating unit and you will pay for this when you are handed your electricity bill. Studies show that utilities and lighting make up for more than half of the typical American’s monthly electric fee. (more…)

With energy prices being at record high’s consumers must find convenient ways to conserve energy and make prices cheaper. Making your house more energy efficient will save you thousands of dollars on you electricity bill. The first step in this process is water heater insulation. There is always an abundance of water in your hot water tank most people would be able to survive if they adjust the temperature by lowering it a bit. There are also timers sold that will adjust to how much you use your hot water. (more…)

Wondering what your savings would be if you unplugged your various appliances? While you could do a rough calculation and arrive at an estimate, to get a more accurate figure you would need to measure the actual output, which can be done with the Kill-A-Watt device.

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If you plan to replace windows in the near future, or add new ones to a future home addition, then use Energy Star qualified, Low Emissive (Low-E) windows. They could reduce your energy bill as much as 15%. (more…)

“Wall Warts” are all of those external power supplies (EPS) at the end of power cords that you get with cell phone chargers, telephones, MP3 players and so on. These things are also often called Energy Vampires because they literally keep sucking power the entire time they are plugged in, albeit at a somewhat reduced rate. (more…)

A wonderful way to improve your home is to introduce more natural light. Natural daylight increases happiness and helps improve mental performance. However in warm to hot climates sunlight can heat your home, increasing the load on your air conditioning system. A comparatively recent innovation is tubular skylights, which can be added very easily to an existing home. Smaller ones can often be installed for as little as $450.

The benefit of tubular skylights is to bring in natural light without the heat gain that you get from electric light fixtures - heat that you then have to pay to get rid of through air conditioning. Flat skylights are comparatively poor performers because they allow so much heat into the home in summer when the sun is high above. Then, in winter, heat that you want to keep in your home rises straight up and out. Tubular skylights also have the advantage of being easily installed in more places, and more cheaply than skylights.

Tubular skylights transmit indirect, diffuse sunlight. That reduces any potential UV ray damage to your furniture. It also means a more even light distribution within a room.

There are now quite a wide number of reputable manufacturers of tubular skylights. Look at price and the variety of options available for the diffusion lens, tube diameter, length of the tubes as well as options for in-build electric fixtures. Also consider the roof mounted dome, its strength and the durability of the flashing. You may need to know the pitch of your roof to order the correct flashing mount.

Electricity Texas is a reseller of Texas electricity and generally concerned when it comes to excess electricity usage by providing access to cheap electricity in Texas. The Texas energy company maintains a save electricity blog which provides tips and suggestions about how to save money on your electricity bill.

You can use nature to help improve the performance of your home. Your home’s cooling needs are largely affected by the heat that enters your home. While your home’s heating requirements are driven partly by cold air that leaks into the house. Both can be improved with the use of carefully selected and positioned trees and vines.

The simple strategy is to place deciduous trees or vines on the south side of your house and evergreens on the north side.

On the south side, well placed deciduous trees will shade the house in summer but let sunlight through in winter. And that winter sun can also help warm your home when you need it to. Be careful to let to trees shade as much window area as possible, particularly from midday to late afternoon. Try to consider how the trees will grow over the years. Deciduous vines are another alternative that can give you results sooner. Build a trellis a few feet from the window to support your vines. It can be either vertical or horizontal but make sure the end result will provide shade to the windows.

On the north side of your house you should plant evergreens – either low trees or shrubs to buffer your home from cold north winds. Remember that large trees should not be planted too close to the house as the roots can damage your foundations. Some sources recommend keeping large trees 35 feet away from the house. Keep in mind that the roots will typically spread as wide underground as the branches spread overhead.

Properly sited trees and landscaping could save you up to 30% of your home’s heating and cooling costs. Be sure to select plants that are appropriate to your climate zone. Work with a local gardening professional if you lack any confidence.

Texas electric is a reseller of Texas electricity and generally concerned when it comes to excess electricity usage by providing access to cheap electricity in Texas. The Texas energy company maintains a save electricity blog which provides tips and suggestions about how to save money on your electricity bill.

Most building professionals agree that a well ventilated attic helps to save money on air conditioning. Your attic probably has a ridge vent to allow heat to escape at the top, plus soffit vents at the edge of the roof that allow outside air to enter from below. In many cases natural ventilation is adequate, but for most homes in hotter climates a powered fan is used to increase the air flow and better cool the attic area. This can even help extend the life of your roof tiles.

If you already have powered ventilation then replacing it with a solar attic fan can save you money on your electricity while continuing to cool your attic.

If you don’t have powered ventilation then it’s worth considering a solar powered unit to avoid the power costs and still benefit from the cooling effects.

Beware however that powered ventilation in an attic can, under certain conditions, depressurize your house to some extent. So it’s important to be certain that your attic space is well sealed from the house below. Either ask your builder or inspect it yourself for openings. Most openings will be around where light fixtures are mounted below, and where the interior dividing walls are. Small openings can be caulked. Larger openings should be closed off with rigid foam insulation and caulk.

Can lights are notorious for leaking air into the attic and for adding heat to your home. If the lights are IC (insulation contact) rated you can insulate around them. Best is to build a small box from rigid foam insulation and caulk allowing at least 3 inches around the fixture in every direction. But the bulb should still be replaced with a compact fluorescent to avoid excess heat build up and to save you more energy.

Electricity service is a reseller of Texas electricity and generally concerned when it comes to excess electricity usage by providing access to cheap electricity in Texas. The Texas energy company maintains a save electricity blog which provides tips and suggestions about how to save money on your electricity bill.