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5 Ways To Be Frugal With Your Utilities This Summer

18th Jul 2013

Summer is the season where all family members of your house (including you) are likely to use appliances more intensively compared to other seasons. This can take a toll on utility bills, but there are ways to keep utility costs low by being smart and making a few lifestyle changes.

You don’t need to sacrifice comfort in order to save money on utility consumption. All it requires is a little thought and creativity. By making few changes, not only will you be able to save money you’ll be able to avoid debt or manage it better if you’re currently under it.

Here are some ways you can be frugal with utilities this summer:

1. Shop for good electricity rates

You may be able to find a provider supplying electricity at low rates compared to your current provider. Check out www.shopelectricityratestexas.com and other state based energy comparison websites that present you with information on multiple companies at once.

The benefit of looking at such websites is that you’re able to easily compare services and rates provided by different electricity companies right at your home and select the best deal that suits your budget.

2. Check for cracks and leaks

Summer is the time where you’ll use the air conditioner on most occasions to keep the heat and sweat away. However, your air conditioner is not going to function efficiently if there are cracks and leaks in your house. Alliance to Save Energy’s spokeswoman recommends making sure that your house is leak-free.

Cracks are usually present in the doors and windows. You should check the sides of windows properly along with bottom and top of the doors. Any discovered cracks and leak spaces can be covered/sealed with duct and aluminum tape.

3. Clean your air conditioner filter

If you haven’t cleaned the filter of your air conditioner for the last few months, you’ll be surprised to see how dirty it is when you finally decide to clean it up. If left uncleaned for a long period of time, the AC unit might malfunction. In that case, you may have to Visit Brooks Heating And Air or a similar HVAC repair firm’s website to book for a AC repair appointment. Emerson’s VP Geoff Godwin says that cleaning the air filter once a month will keep your air conditioner functioning efficiently for longer.

He also says that most people tend to ignore their air conditioner until something completely malfunctions and they end up paying the cost of buying a new unit. You don’t want that to happen, so remember to keep a check on the air filters and get them repaired or maintained periodically with the help of experts found at firms like Valley Service.

4. Be smart with electronics

There’s nothing wrong letting kids watch marathons in summers, but you should make sure that you turn off the entertainment system and the television once it’s over.

Simply powering the devices off won’t help much, so it’s recommended that you use a smart plug which shuts power when devices are not in use, or make a habit of unplugging them yourself.

5. Use the oven less

You may be someone who uses the oven every time for heating up food, but you may not be aware about the contribution you’re making to your utility costs. It’s better if you use toaster oven or grill outdoors, particularly when heating small food quantities.

You can even try something fun and unconventional like baking cookies on your car.

These tips will help you to be frugal with utility use while you live through the dog days of summer.

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