5 simple ways to cut your electricity bill in half

The first thing to do is evaluate how much you’re actually spending monthly on your electric bill and from there you can determine whether you feel it is necessary to cut down on your electricity use or not.

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• Program the Thermostat

Give the air conditioning a break during the workday. Shifting the settings to allow higher daytime temperatures could cut the average households electricity bill in half.

• Unplug

Gadgets like a cellphone charger or microwave suck energy – and generate heat – as long as they are attached to a power source. Standby power for appliances not in use typically accounts for 5% - 10% of residential electricity use.

• Wash Laundry with Cold Water

The best way to wash your clothing is to use cold water instead of hot water. Not only does it wash your clothes effectively, but you’ll save hundreds of Rands a year.

• Consider the Light Bulbs you are using

You can…
> Turn off lights you aren’t using to save.
> Turn off a single 100Watt light bulb from running constantly to save.
> Replace light bulbs with energy-saving bulbs.

• Think of Appliances you use but don’t really need

Instead of wasting gallons of water by putting a few plates in the dishwasher, hand wash them instead. Work a different look and let your hair air-dry whenever possible. Sweep your floors instead of using the vacuum. The list goes on and on. Once you start thinking of the electric gadgets you use each day, you might discover there was actually once life before them. Give it a try!

Always remember that conserving energy isn’t just saving you money, its saving the environment as well!