With more people at home, electricity bills are spiking. So, I wanted to round up a few ways you could save money on your electric bill.
Whether you’re binging Netflix, helping your kids with online classwork, or just attending the 5,000th zoom meeting, a lot of people are working, living, and playing at home.
In 2013, 72% of all greenhouse gas emissions came from energy production. Now, when analyzed further quite a bit of that also falls into industrial energy use, but it’s a staggering number all the same. (source) Especially when a few small changes around the home can seriously cut down your energy use. It might seem small at first, but 5% here and 5% there really adds up!
Not only is saving money good for you, in this case it’s also great for the planet! This post originally started out as 25 Ways to Save Money on Your Electric Bill. After writing over 1,000 words on just the first five swaps, I figured it would be best to split these categories up. Instead, I’ll be creating several blog posts going over different ways you can save energy room by room. Otherwise, you’d probably be reading a novella!
And, if you’re into the idea of a book on eco-friendly swaps and saving money, let me know in the comments! I just might be able to accommodate.
Either way, stay tuned because I’m definitely turning this into a whole energy/money saving series.
The first room we’ll be tackling is the bathroom. While the bathroom might be a teeny-tiny room in the house, it uses quite a bit of energy. Think about it, it heats a lot of water and runs a lot of small appliances from hair dryers to nose trimmers.
It’s a small room that can certainly pack a punch. A few of the links below are affiliate links for more information please see my disclosure policy.
1. kill phantom electricity:
Make sure that you unplug your small electronics like a curling iron or your water flosser‘s charging base.
This doesn’t just apply to bathroom electronics, but your phone and laptop charger too. When electronics are plugged in, even if they’re not on or charging something, they’re still drawing electricity from the power grid.
It’s called, phantom electricity *spooky* and is responsible, on average, for 10% of a home’s annual energy bill! (source)
Yikes, so save some money on your electric bill by simply pulling the plug.
RELATED: 5 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
2. lower the temperature on your hot water heater:
Did you know that you can turn down the temperature on your hot water heater?
Gas water heaters control dial somewhere on the outside of the unit where you can easily adjust the water temperature.
If you have an electric water heater, there are two separate dials most likely one at the top and bottom of the unit. When switching the temperature, make sure both of those dials are set to the same temp.
Justin and I do this every time we move into a new place. The hot water is almost always too hot so you probably won’t even notice if you turn the temperature down by a few degrees.
I’d start with 10 degrees Fahrenheit because you’ll save 3-5% on your energy costs as well as $40 a year. (source)
Now, I know that might not seem like a lot of money, but over time as you cut things here and there it all really adds up!
3. get a tankless hot water heater:
If you’re in the market for a new hot water heater, you should absolutely be considering a tankless hot water heater.
The hot water heater died in our tiny home last year and we’ve been in the market to replace it.
We’ve been strongly considering an EcoSmart tankless hot water heater because it will save a bunch of space. Space saving is even more important when you’re in a tiny home and every square foot counts!
According to the US department of energy, “Gas-fired tankless heaters save an average of $108 in energy costs per year over their traditional tank counterparts, while electric tankless heaters save $44 per year.“
Our old hot water heater was faulty and caused huge spikes in our gas bill so we’ll be saving even more!
RELATED: 10 Ways to Save Money and the Planet
4. switch your shower head:
With the EcoSmart tankless hot water heater we’re considering we have to make sure we’re using less water. All of our faucets are aerated and our shower head will be flowing under 2 gallons-per minute.
Our Nebia shower head which is installed in our current shower should do just the job.
We’ll be removing this shower head from it’s current location and placing it in the tiny home. We’ll install this new Nebia shower head in our current shower.
What you might not know, is this simple change of saving water also saves electricity. After all, less hot water = less energy use.
According to Energy Star, switching to a 2.5-gallon-per-minute (low-flow) shower head and taking a 10-minute shower will save up to $145 each year in electricity.
RELATED: 10 Tips for Saving Water
5. move your hot water heater:
If you move your hot water heater closer to your taps, you’re going to be saving a lot of electricity.
Think about it, if your hot water heater is in the garage and you have to pump all of that water up to the second floor, that’s going to take a lot of time and energy.
Another reason I’m pumped (get it?) about getting a tankless hot water heater is that it’s small enough we can install it right next to the shower. We’ll have an almost instant and constant flow of hot water.
Talk about saving money, energy, and water – heck yah!
RELATED: 5 Swaps for a Zero Waste Bathroom
6. electricity-free bidet attachment:
I know that when switching to a bidet attachment, many people wonder if their electricity bills will go up.
There are several different types of bidets and bidet attachments. Some are super fancy that use electricity to keep the seat nice and warm, hook up to your hot water supply, and some are even battery powered.
The one I have is plain and simple though. It requires no electricity or batteries. So, when you’re looking to get a bidet attachment, opt for a simple one.
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, then it will come as no shock that using a bidet attachment is one of my all-time favorite zero waste swaps!
You’ll save a little money on your electric bill, but you’ll REALLY be saving money on toilet paper!
saving money on your electric bill:
I hope you found this blog post helpful! I would love to know if you’re considering implementing any of these tips at your home.
I’m excited about creating more posts in this series, stay tuned for more!
The post 6 Ways to Save Money on Your Electric Bill in the Bathroom appeared first on Going Zero Waste.
