Last week, I wrote about how to save money by changing your
light bulbs to more electric bill friendly CFLs and LEDs. To continue saving
you money, this week’s blog is about how to pare down your utility bills even
more.
First,
the phone bill. Many people have both a cell phone and a landline. Unless you
live in a place with sketchy cell phone service, this is completely
unnecessary. Pick one or the other. If your cell phone plan isn’t that great,
switch to a pay as you go plan so you only pay if you need it in an emergency.
Other people have the house phone bundled in with internet and or cable. Again,
unnecessary. You are probably over paying than if you had an independent phone
service. If you absolutely need to have a cell phone and house phone, see if
you can have them from the same company. Some companies offer discounts if you
do.
With
regards to internet and cable, it’s hard for people to think they can do
without them. Internet is nearly a must have these days, with kids often
needing it for homework and parents needing it for work. Cable on the other
hand can be pared down. No one needs to have all the premium channels, all the
movie channels, all the music channels and all of the other cable channels. You
can save hundreds a year if you just have basic cable, which still includes a
few extra channels over the locals (at least here in Buffalo). Or get the
smallest package. Use the library to rent movies for free. Or utilize a service
like Hulu, Netflix, Red Box, or even the local video store (Family Video has
excellent prices and special deals for mid-week rentals).
Third,
unplug things. When you’re not charging your phone, unplug the charger. Unplug
the TV while everyone is at work and school. You can also get a programmable
thermostat for your home. In the winter, set the timer to lower the temperature
after you’ve gone to bed and raise the temperature when you’re about to get up
in the morning. Keep it low during the day (summer or winter advice) when no
one is there to feel what temperature it is. Obviously if you have pets, you
can’t have the temperature at a point that is harmful to Fluffy and Scruffy.
You can save up to $40 just by lowering your house temperature one degree in
the winter. Crazy, right?
You can
also have various Energy Star improvements made to your home, but that is for a
later blog. For now, why don’t you call the office and get on our waiting list
for weatherization? It’s currently short and we are accepting applications. The
weatherization service starts with an energy audit to see where your house can
be improved to save you money. Renters are also welcome. Call the
Weatherization Office at (716) 837-0071 today and get your application started.
See the eligibility requirements here.
