If your budget is being blow up by sky-high electric rates, but don’t have the cash for major energy efficiency upgrades? In this video I’ll show you the top 5 ways you can lower for electric bill for under $1,000.
Skyrocketing Electric Rates In Texas!
If you are a Texas resident, then you are being impacted by the skyrocketing electric rates this year We are in the middle of a record setting heat wave that isn’t showing any signs of easing up.
If you are worried about your monthly budget that is being stressed or broken by high energy rates, but don’t have the cash to make any major energy efficiency investments in your home, don’t worry we have you covered.
5 Energy Efficiency Upgrades
These are the top 5 energy efficiency upgrades that you can make to your home for under $1,000:
#1 – Weather stripping your doorways and windows
Most doors, door frames and window frames are wood, normally its cheaper wood. Overtime those doors, windows and frames get dinged and dinted your kids, they also get warped by the humidity and by the temperature changes we see throughout the year. This leads to gaps, sometimes large gaps, that allow cool air to escape in the summer, which makes you’re A/C run more often, and hot air to escape in the winter, which, if you have an electric heat pump, forces your heater to run more often.
Sealing those gaps will help reduce the amount of air that escapes and is super easy and cheap to do. You can get it from your local hardware store for under $20 and, the best part is, you can do-it-yourself in just minutes. First look for areas around your door and window frames where there are gaps. Then take the weather stripping and seal those gaps. Make sure everything is flush, so your doors and windows close all the way, but once you’re done you can reduce your electric consumption up to 5 – 10%.
#2 – Changing out your lightbulbs
Incandescent light bulbs are cheap, and they provide a nice soft light, but are very energy inefficient, which costs you money. These bulbs also burn out quickly, which you then have to buy more and replace them more regularly. LED light bulbs are a suitable replacement option. LED light bulbs used to be very expensive, but are now relatively cheap for under $5 you can get light bulbs from your local hardware store and replace all or most of the bulbs in your home for little cost. They also last longer, up to 10 times longer than your normal incandescent light bulb. This really adds up in cost. Over 10 years if you pay an average of let’s say $0.11 per kwh, LED bulbs will save you $300 per year for the average household.
#3 – Energy Efficient Space heaters / Ceiling Fans
Heaters
If you have an electric heat pump, then your winter electric bills are much higher than those with gas heaters. Heating the entire house during the winter can cost you greatly. Instead, opt to purchase an energy efficient space heater, which you can find for around $100 on Amazon. You are not always occupying every room in your home, so once you get settled in for the day or evening, shut off your heater and just use a space heater, along with some blankets, to keep you warm while you’re watching tv, working in your office or in your bedroom before turning in for the night. You can purchase several of these and keep them in each room where you are stationary for a longer period of time.
Ceiling fans
For under $100 you can install ceiling fans or portable fans in the rooms where you need cooling. You can run them when you’re in the room and shut them off when you leave (or just leave them running). Fans do not actually cool the room, but they make you feel cooler Depending on the efficiency of the fan you select, you can be saving up to $130 a year in energy.
#4 – Surge protectors
We have dozens of electronics that are plugged in at all times and, even when we are not using them, they still pull electricity from the grid. These gadgets and appliances that are plugged in constantly draw electricity from the grid and cost you money, even when you have turned those devices off and are not using them. Instead, purchase a series of surge protectors, which you can find anywhere for under $10 each, and plug your devices into the surge protector Along with protecting your appliances from damage during a power surge, you can easily shut down all those devices by clicking off the surge strip when you are not using them, saving you electricity and, over time, saving you a lot of money.
#5 – Insulation
We know that much of our cooling and heating can escape through poor insulation, but insulation can be expensive, especially when you are replacing or upgrading the insulation for your entire home. But, for under $1,000 you can purchase insulation and use it in just the areas of your home where it’s needed. You can insulate a window that you never use, a small attic or a door that never gets opened. The best part is that with a staple gun and some wire, you can do it yourself for pennies of what it would cost a contractor to do it This helps keep your heating and cooling right where it needs to be, in your home, instead of it escaping through those areas, costing you money.
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