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How to Save Money on Utililties
When our utility bills arrive I compare the usage and savings that we have made compared to the last bill. Our efforts to save money on gas, electricity and water have paid off and the bills are going down. The changes we have made are just second nature now, and it makes me realise just how wasteful we have been in the past. Here are some tips on how to save money on utilities.
Water
- turn the taps off when cleaning your teeth
- when rinsing vegetables put the plug in the sink instead of leaving the tap running
- put 1-2 bricks in the toilet cistern so less water is used when you flush
- collect the grey water from the bath/shower & laundry to reuse on the garden
- wash the car on the grass
- turn the hose off while you are washing the car, then turn it on to rinse off
- take shorter showers! ( I hate this one!)
- use a water saver shower head
- mulch the garden with old newspapers to reduce water loss
- plant a tough grass that thrives on neglect
- choose plants that don't need a lot of water, tough perennials look great
- use the water you boil vegetables in as a base for making stock, very nutritious!
Heating / Cooling
- change light bulbs to energy efficient ones
- lower the thermostat on the heating and increase if on the cooling
- use sun block out, heavy fabric for curtains
- add pelmets over windows to reduce heat loss (we made these ourselves for no cost)
- seal all the doors and windows
- use draught stoppers for doors
- close doors and only heat or cool the room you are in
- rediscover the good old water hot bottle!
- turn off lights when leaving a room
- insulate the hot water pipes and the hot water system
- use a water saver in the shower
- use the washing machine only when you have a full load
- use cold water for washing clothes that are only lightly soiled
- STOP using the clothes dryer!! this made a huge difference to our bill
- use the microwave, crock pot or an electric hotplate instead of the oven
- if you do use the oven, do a large cook and fill it
- turn off appliances and unplug them when not in use
Not only will you be saving money but you will also be helping the environment. When we first made changes it felt very different and it took a bit of effort to remember to do things differently, but the savings are worth it!
Posted at 6:09 AM | Labels: Frugal, Saving, Simple Living |
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5 comments:
You wash your car with a hose? Isn't that punishable by death or public flogging here in Sydney these days? *lol*
Great tips, and I was pleased to see how many of these I'm already doing myself. I've become a compulsive powerpoint switcher-offer these days personally. :-)
All sounds very common sense to me! Thank goodness I don't have utililties or related bills for them.
Very good idea, this blog! I'm very interested in following your journey.
You and your readers (at least your U.S. readers) may be interested in the blog http://www.thetruthaboutdebtrelief.blogspot.com .
It’s Doug Johnson’s blog in which he offers some VERY unique perspectives on getting out of all kinds of debt. I’d be interested in your opinions on those.
Best regards,
Kevin
I can't remember the last time I washed my car. I park it outside and the occasional rain shower cleans it off just fine. I'm not sure how well this strategy works in a dry climate, but my car still looks as good or better than all of the neighbors who take their cars to the car wash on a regular basis.
How about tearing up the lawn? A green expanse of grass is not the natural state for many areas, yet homeowners have come to expect an artificial landscape around their houses. Let native plants grow, and nature will take care of them for you.
Great tips and I am pleased to be doing a lot of them.
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