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People are always looking for new ways to save money and get some extra money in their pocket. Depending on how much you are looking to save, you might look for a drastic solution or a subtle method that will add up over time. When it comes to your utility bill, there are definitely ways that you can save money. The amount of money that you save when it comes to utilities depends on how much you are willing to do to save the money. Here are some ways that you can cut down on your utility bills within a month.
Find the Best Provider
Just like any service in your home, you want to ensure that your energy and electricity provider is the best one for you. While there is not much difference in the type of power that is provided by each company to your home, there is a difference when it comes to pricing. Some companies will charge you much less for their services than others. How can you go about finding cheaper rates? There are websites that will analyze companies and do utility comparisons, allowing you to find out what is the cheapest in your area. What do you do once you have found a cheaper provider?
Your first option is simply to switch over to them. A cheaper provider is instantly going to save you money on the month and the savings will continue to add up as long as they don’t raise their rates on you. The next option is to negotiate with providers to get them to lower their prices further. Companies will want you to choose them instead of another provider. Use that to your advantage to find the lowest price possible, as sometimes you can even get a price lower than the ones you find on websites. Finding the best provider for your services will instantly allow you to save money on your utility bills.
Off-Peak and Peak Hours
The next thing you will want to look at to help you save money is the type of energy plan that you have. Does yours have a clause in it that mentions peak and off-peak hours? If so, you can save more money by ensuring that most of your power consumption comes outside of the peak hours. This means if you have to do things such as laundry, you should save them for either the early morning or late into the night, as companies will be charging less for your usage at those times.
Before you get excited about taking advantage of this, as mentioned you have to see if your company even offers this. Some companies will offer only one rate for the utilities that you use, therefore it will not matter what time the usage comes at. If your company offers one rate, ensure that this rate is cheaper than peak hour usage with other companies. Knowing when to use your utilities and when to keep them off is another important method when it comes to saving money.
Run Water Only When You Need To
When it comes to water usage, we are guilty of wasting a ton of water each day. When you are brushing your teeth for example, do you leave the water to run while you are brushing? Or when you are doing the dishes, do you make sure you turn off the sink when you are scrubbing the dish under the water? If you don’t turn the water off when you are not using it, you are asking for an expensive utility bill. Another great way to keep the bill down is to shorten your showers. Sure it might be comfortable sitting around in the shower, but do you really need to be in there for 30 minutes. Cut your water usage down and ensure that you aren’t leaving the taps on for extended periods of time.
Change Your Filters on your AC Unit
Finally, when was the last time you looked at your AC unit and made sure it was working properly. The filter on your AC unit needs to be cleaned every so often to ensure the unit works properly. How can this help you save money? A clean and properly running AC unit will not have to work as hard to do the same job, meaning it will save you money in the long run. As AC units are one of the biggest consumers of power, if you are able to keep it clean and running properly, you will save money each month.
These are all great ways to cut down your utility bill instantly. While you might only save a few extra dollars each month, it will add up at the end of the year. What do you plan on doing with all of that extra money?