Blog Post

Saving Money on Your Utility Costs

Opening up your water, electricity, gas and internet bills every month is never a fun experience; “normal” usage bills seem to be getting higher and higher every year, and during months where you may use your utilities more than usual (like summer or winter), the cost can be eye-popping.

Thankfully, there are plenty of proven ways that you can reduce our utility bills and lessen the pain we feel every month. Check them out below:

Firstly, do an “audit” of your home to check where you may need to make improvements or fixes to make sure your home is sealed:

  • Walk around your home, and through every room and check to see if there are any water leaks (from sinks, toilets, showers, etc.) and if there are any air leaks like gaps in your window or door frames or holes in the wall where air can pass through. Remember, any leaks that you have are costing you money every single second until they are fixed. Make sure to fix any leaks and seal any gaps, or if possible ask your landlord to help do so. 
  • While many of us may not be able to afford the latest and greatest appliances, it will save you money in the long term to upgrade your appliances to energy efficient ones, which use less electricity to operate and therefore save you money. While walking around, take note of any older appliances you have and consider upgrading slowly over the years if you can. 

Next, try out these steps to save money on your electricity bill:

  • Change out any incandescent light bulbs in your house to fluorescent or LED lightbulbs, which use less electricity AND last significantly longer. And of course, turn off your lights when you’re not using them. 
  • Make sure your house is properly insulated-poorly insulated homes mean spending more money on AC to keep your home cold or heating to stay warm, since so much of that cool or hot air is escaping.
  • If you have a washing machine, wash your clothes with cold water if you can, since washing with hot water significantly increases how much electricity you use for that laundry cycle. Also make sure to wash your clothes only when you have enough laundry to fill the machine. 
  • Finally, consider using electricity during off-peak hours. Your electricity provider charges more for electricity that you use during “peak” hours (many times from 4:00pm-9:00pm), so look up the rates that your provider charges and try to use power outside of those peak hours. 

Save money on your water bill through the following small steps:

  • Use your dishwasher if you have one! You may have grown up in a household where you learned to wash the dishes in the sink before putting them in the dishwasher, but the fact is modern dishwashers will get the job done just fine on their own, and save lots of water (and therefore money).
  • When brushing your teeth or shaving, turn off the water while you’re not rinsing. Consider even doing so in the shower (and try taking shorter showers a few times a week!)
  • Change your showerheads, especially if your water pressure is low (in general and not because of a leak). There are many affordable, well-designed showerheads out there that require less water to give you the same amount of pressure you’re used to. 

And finally, take advantage of the options to save on your monthly internet bill:

  • Most internet service providers are required by law to provide customers with low-cost plan options, as low as $10.00 per month. While these plans are generally slower and may not be good enough for things like heavy streaming or gaming, consider changing your plan to one that more realistically fits your needs and budget. If you’re a small family who doesn’t play games online or stream that much, you could save money by changing to a cheaper plan that will still allow you to do the basic things like going on Google, sending emails, etc. Go to broadband.unitedwaysca.org or text the word INTERNET to 211-211 to learn more. 
  • Starting in 2021, the US government started offering clients with a $30 discount every month on their internet bill, regardless of what internet plan they are on, through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). You can combine a low-cost internet plan with this ACP discount to get free internet. Text the word GETACP to 211-211 to learn more and see if you qualify, and get help applying. 

If you’re doing all of the above, great job! However, we know that even after taking all of these steps, utility bills may still be high. If you meet certain income-based conditions, check out assistance programs like The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Even though these steps may seem small and insignificant, and you may wonder how this is going to save you money, it’s best to think in the long term. Rome wasn’t built in a day-it will take time and effort but ultimately you will end up saving money and paying less for your utilities.