Five Ways to Cut Down on Your Electricity Usage in Seattle
The last thing you need is for the electric bill for your Seattle home to be higher than you expected. Of course, sometimes you need to use more electricity, especially if you use electricity to heat or cool your home.
However, you may be using more electricity than you need to be without even realizing. You don’t necessarily need to monitor your meter all day and night to keep track of that, though. Here are some easy ways to make sure your home is energy efficient:
1. Talk to Your Electricity Provider
First, if you do have multiple electricity suppliers in your area, make sure you’re using the one who offers the lowest rates, as long as they're still able to provide you with reliable power.
Whichever electricity provider you’re using, they’re usually ready to work with their customers. Electric companies don’t gain anything from having customers who are unable to pay their bills, so they usually have programs available to help homeowners keep their electric bills manageable. If you’re having trouble paying in the peaks of winter or summer, most electric companies will offer you a flat rate that stays the same each month, so you won’t be surprised by a significantly larger bill during these seasons.
2. Make Sure Your Biggest Appliances are Energy Efficient
Water heaters, washing machines, and refrigerators are probably the biggest energy users in your Seattle home. Making sure they’re as efficient as possible with the electricity they use can help you save tons of money every month.
3. Paint Your Walls with Bright Colors
Around 14% of the average Seattle electric bill can be attributed to lighting, so you can save a lot every months by reducing the amount of electric light you use. Brightly painted walls will reflect more light, allowing you to use less electricity and get the same amount of light in a room while using less electricity.
4. Install a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat allows you to set specific times to cool your home. If there are regular times that your Seattle home is empty, you can set your thermostat to stop cooling your home, and then to turn back on an hour or so before you’ll arrive back home. This way, your home can always be kept at a comfortable temperature without wasting energy.
5. Turn Off and Unplug
This may seem to be the simplest tip on the list, but people often leave televisions and other devices on throughout the day. And sometimes turning off isn’t enough. Many electrical cords in Seattle will continue to suck up power just by being plugged in. So unplugging these devices will keep you from wasting a lot of electricity in your Seattle home.
