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How to Save On Your Electric Bill During the Winter

3 minutes
During the winter, you probably want a comfortable and warm home, but you don't want to waste energy either. Therefore, it's important to learn some tricks to save energy without sacrificing comfort.
How to Save On Your Electric Bill During the Winter
Last update: 23 February, 2021

You spend more time at home at certain times of the year. This means using more energy. Therefore, it’s important to know how to save on your electric bill during the winter and what measures you can take to continue enjoying your home without wasting money.

There’s nothing worse than having to pay for something that you could’ve avoided. This happens because you aren’t aware of the different uses that generate excessive consumption. In fact, it happens to many of us without realizing it at all.

Nowadays, there are devices at home running all the time. Technology is becoming an appendage of people’s lives. Also, without it, you can’t perform certain tasks that, in one way or another, are essential for work or your well-being.

Electricity – an important resource

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If you were to take a closer look at the way people use electricity, you’d realize we need it constantly. For example, the fridge is on 24 hours a day, so is the Wi-Fi router, while other appliances are in constant use for hours at a time.

The fact people spend more time at home during the winter is for several reasons – there are fewer daylight hours, the weather isn’t nice, the cold makes us depressed, etc. This means people prefer to stay inside.

Therefore, people use their cell phones, tablets, computers, and television more. At the same time, you have the lights on for longer, you want to try new recipes, you make a mess, and you turn on the dishwasher more often, etc.

High energy consumption means a considerable increase in your electric bill.

Ideas for lowering your electric bill

There are several ways to avoid wasting electricity and to keep your bill down. The first thing to do is to be aware of the situation, make a prior assessment, and be ecologically conscious.

  • It’s important to carry out a personal assessment and recognize if you’re excessively using your electronic devices. If so, you need to address the situation and start being more responsible.
  • Sometimes, you might leave lights and lamps on even though you aren’t in the room. This is something that can be avoided.
  • If you have to use the computer for work-related reasons, then you shouldn’t feel guilty. However, people tend to waste a lot of time on online leisure activities when, in fact, you could take advantage of the opportunity to go out and do something else.
  • Household appliances also increase your electric bill. Instead of using the oven, washing machine, dryer, etc. daily, why not try spreading their use over a longer period of time? In the long term, you’ll see a substantial improvement.
  • Fitting LED bulbs can help reduce energy consumption. It’s been proven that, after a year, you pay less if you have these bulbs.

Avoid using electric stoves and heaters

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One of the biggest problems during the winter is the cold. So, what happens if you don’t have central heating? In that case, you’d use electric stoves or heaters. Just turning them on daily can generate a crazy energy waste.

This is a serious problem, especially if you don’t have any other way to obtain heat. If you have a fireplace, this is a good solution, but it’s also important to take advantage of the sunshine by opening all the blinds.

Decoration can also help. With winter shag rugs, wool blankets, a parquet floor, and fabric sofas, you can save on your electric bill and feel less cold.

Get rid of drafts and lower your electric bill

Believe it or not, cold drafts are the main reason rooms get cold. The gaps between doors should be closed with insulating tape or rubber foam. In any case, good wall insulation is essential.

However, if there’s no choice but to turn on your electric heater and use the light in rooms, you should be reasonable and not waste energy. If you can turn off appliances more often, you’ll undoubtedly be able to lower your electric bill.

 


All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.


 

  • Jorge, Elena: Del hogar digital a la casa red, Lulu, 2008.
  • Kriebel, Henning: Ahorro de energía mediante electrónica, Barcelona, Marcombo, 1998