Cutting Down Your Steep Energy Bills Can Be Easy

Homeowners are familiar with the anxiety that comes with opening their mailbox to find their latest electrical or water bill and tearing into the envelope to see what the damage will be to their bank account. If steep energy bills are getting you down, check out these methods to cut costs from now on. 

Invest In Energy Efficient Features

Your refrigerator, oven, washing machine and dryer could be contributing to the stressful rates. Older appliances tend to sap energy and cost more, which is why one of the most frugal tips for saving on your energy bill during the winter months is to get these essential items replaced with energy efficient versions.

Check for the Energy Star-label on products because they are guaranteed to waste less than their counterparts.

Upgrade Your Entrances

People typically use more energy during the winter-time because they turn up the heat to keep the cold weather at bay. It gets worse when the house’s windows and entry doors let in frigid air, so they crank up the heat more. 

You can secure your interior from the bitter cold when you upgrade the entrances of your house — this means that you should get new windows and doors this fall from a reliable company before the temperature starts to drop and snow hits the ground.

Similar to new washing machines and refrigerators, you will shrink your hydro costs when you get replacements that have energy efficient features.

Get these upgrades from a Kitchener windows and doors business that’s committed to reducing energy waste. The company Golden Windows would be a great choice because they carry a wide selection of energy efficient windows and doors in Kitchener and they are long-time participants in the Energy Star initiative.

Be Smarter About Your Holiday Decorations

When winter rolls around, people deck their gardens, porches and interiors with festive string lights. The brilliant ornaments make the dark days of the season a little warmer,but they also come with consequences.

Depending on the extent of your decorating, you will waste lots of energy keeping all of these lights running and flashing. Don’t let this news dampen your holiday spirit because you can cover your house with LED Christmas lights that use up to seventy-five percent less energy than standard options and you can use timers so that the lights turn off when they’re not needed.

As additional motivation for this ornament swap, regular Christmas lights are bad for the environment and contribute to light pollution— the excessive outdoor brightness can upset the ecosystems of nocturnal animals and it can wash out the view of stars in the sky. Experts recommend light-emitting diodes because they are less problematic when it comes to the environment and your consumption.

If your hydro bills still seem suspiciously high, it could be a problem with the company. It’s not uncommon for customers to be erroneously overcharged or to receive faulty statements. The only thing you can do when something seems out of place is to lodge a complaint with them or contact their ombudsman.