Reducing Your Utility Costs

February 14, 2008

This week on Moms Love Shopping, Chele tackled the topic of reducing your utility bills. She mentioned CFLs, which I use and posted some warnings/good to know about CFLs here.

Another thing I started doing several months ago is hanging all the laundry. I talked about how I bought these indoor drying racks from IKEA for really cold or rainy days.

I enjoy hanging laundry out and it certainly makes a difference on the utility bills! Some other ideas:

  • Wash everything in cold water. You know what? I didn’t used to do this tip, but recently I’ve only been washing in cold and my laundry comes out just as clean. I think it must have to do with the hardness of the water, because I’m now living in another area. I use the same laundry powder as before, but I do a 30 minute soak for each load first, so that may help, but I think most of it is due to the quality of the water.
  • Bathe the kids together. If they’re the same gender, put them in the tub together. Saves water and heating up the water. Even if they’re not the same gender, it’s ok to put them in together before they’re around 5 and get curious. Your mileage may vary of course!
  • Bake multiple items. I try to use my oven as little as possible, but when I turn on the oven, I generally throw in a few potatoes for breakfast the next morning. Using a slow cooker saves on utility costs, as does baking in a toaster oven. Try to use the smallest appliance for the job.
  • Let your hair air dry. Personally I am far too lazy to blow out my naturally wavy hair. LOL! But it also guzzles electricity.
  • Go solar. While it requires an initial investment it can save money over the long haul. Check out this solar charger for your ipod, cell phone and other small stuff.
  • Unplug stuff. A lot of your appliances use power even when they’re off. Stuff that uses a remote (TV, VCR/DVD) are good examples. Put your puter on sleep when you walk away or power it down.


Posted by carrie | Filed Under Frugality, Planet Earth 

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