Practical Ways of Saving Money on the Electricity Bill

If your home has natural gas service for cooking or heating, dump your electricity-hogging hot water tank in favor of a gas one. Gas hot water heaters are much more efficient than electric ones, and often the local gas company will offer you free equipment or installation as an incentive to switch. If gas is not available to you, investigate a tankless hot water heater. They have high up-front costs but might save money over time and increase the value of your home.

Replace old appliances with newer, more efficient ones. Just because an appliance is new doesn't automatically make it energy efficient, so look for the Energy Star label. Local utility companies and governments regularly offer rebate programs for converting to Energy Star appliances, so check with with the retail vendor or do an online search for any current offers. If you are gradually replacing kitchen appliances, start with the refrigerator, which is one of the home's top electricity users.

Front-loading washing machines not only save big bucks on water bills, but they also have shorter cycles that save on electricity. Their spin cycles remove water so effectively they also reduce dryer time. Clothes dryers are another of the home's greatest electrical drains. Line drying clothes will save electricity and give you the incomparably fresh scent of clothes dried by sun and air. If you live in community that doesn't permit line drying or have an apartment or house with no outdoor space, you can get an inexpensive indoor drying rack that sits on the floor.

Plug multiple items into a power strip, preferably one that doubles as a surge protector. When you have many electronics plugged into one strip you can easily turn it off or unplug it when leaving the house for an extended period of time. Even if your electronics are turned off, many of them still draw energy in the off position.

Old-fashioned, incandescent light bulbs are going the way of the free airplane meal, soon to be just a distant memory. Compact flourescent bulbs, or CFs, use a fraction of the electricity of traditional bulbs, and they last a lot longer. The curly shaped bulbs are disliked by owners of antique light fixtures, but there are now CFs shaped just like incandescent bulbs instead of their more familiar curly shape. Electric companies sometimes offer bulb rebate programs, so check with your provider.

If you live in an area where more than one electric company competes for your business, play the companies off of each other and negotiate more favorable terms for yourself. See what one offers you and then get the other to better that deal. If you've been a long-standing customer, ask for a valued customer discount. The worst they could do is say no.

Stock up your fridge. When a refrigerator is full and you open the door, it takes longer to warm up and therefore uses less electricity to get cool again. If you live in a hot climate turn your thermostat up to save on air conditioning. Check your electric bill to find out if your power company offers lower rates for off peak hours. If it does, your bill will show a break down. Find out what off peak hours are and try to do power-intensive activities, like running the dishwasher or doing the laundry, during those times.