Save Big From Your Electricity Bill.

Electricity consumption is known to spike during the summer. This means more of your money being eaten away by your electricity bill. During the summer, the average residential electricity consumption can go beyond 1 megawatt per hour. With the average price paid per kilowatt hour being 10 cents, the average monthly bill of a household can easily reach a hundred dollars, especially during the summer.

The high cost of electricity means that we can also save more with every kilowatt hour that we save. Thus, finding the best practices to save electricity during the season becomes increasingly important. And to help you with this, here are some ways to save literally precious electricity.


Use the Thermostat Wisely
One of the culprits of high electricity consumption during the summer is the air conditioner; and with little wonder since the temperature can reach three digits in some parts of the country. Apparently, beating the heat is very expensive. Program the air conditioner to allow higher temperature during work days or turn it off completely if no one's at home. This alone can already save you more than $10 per month.

Unplug Your Appliances
Appliances that are not being used but are still plugged are called electricity vampires. And as the name implies, appliances suck electricity when plugged, and yes, even when they are turned off. So when you are not using the TV, the microwave oven, the washing machine and the cell phone charger, be sure to unplug them as this can significantly increase your electricity consumption.

Consider Alternative Suppliers
This is an electricity saving trick that few people know or consider. In some areas in the country where electricity is not regulated by the government, the power is supplied by private companies. Most mainstream companies charge more than the smaller ones. If there are multiple suppliers in your area, try to settle an annual contract for huge savings. The rates will usually be fixed and you can save up to 15% of what you would otherwise pay.

Use Fans and Air Conditioner alternately
Air conditioners have timers and you can connect the fan to the air conditioners plug so that the electricity will be rerouted to the fan when the other is not working. Program the air conditioner to run only until the room is cool. Once it is, let the fan do the air circulation. Make sure that the room is well insulated. Use curtains or blinds to keep the sunlight out. This causes the room to heat up much slower.

Use Energy Efficient Appliances
If it so happens that you are about to buy new appliances, try to get ones that are certified to be energy efficient and ones that have the "time of use" feature. This will let you program the said appliances such as the refrigerator or the air conditioner to turn off during peak hours so you are not paying for the electricity during the time that it is not expensive. These appliances may cost extra, but it can be offset by the savings that you will make in the future or getting it from best buy using best buy coupon.