11 Ways to Save Money on Your Utilities – Part 2

Saving Through Efficiency

There are many ways to save money on your monthly utility bills, here we continue from part 1 of 11 Ways to Save Money on Your Utilities, and offer the remaining 6 tips to make your home more efficient and save you money each month.

1. 1. 6. Installing Insulated Vinyl Siding

         Your home may already have siding, but homes in colder climates can greatly benefit from the extra layer of insulation our Insulated Vinyl Siding has to offer. Not only will it increase the heating efficiency of your home, it will notably make a difference in your gas bill.

         With our wide variety of styles and colors available, our professionals will help you choose something both practical and beautiful.

      7. Insulating your Water Heater

         Many homeowners don’t realize that if you have an older water heater simply installing a hot water heater jacket can help keep the water stored in your hot water tank hotter longer. Insulating your hot water tank with at least an R 24 insulation can help reduce standby heat loss by 25%–45% and save you about 7%–16% in overall water heating costs.

      8. Washing Laundry in Cold Water

         Many of us may already do this, but washing your clothes in cold water can also help save on your energy costs.  A good portion of the electricity your washing machine uses is used to heat the water. This simple adjustment to your washing machine’s settings can reduce your washing machine’s energy usage by as much as 90%.

      9. Be Mindful of When Running Your Dishwasher

         We generally take for granted the amount of water used every time we turn on our dishwashers. Making the most of your dishwasher is key for reducing cost and overall waste. Try and not run your dishwasher unless it’s full. Manually washing pots and pans can reduce the number of times you run your dishwasher in the week. Bonus Tip: Save even more by turning off the manual heat dry setting and let your dishes air-dry instead.

      10. Buying Higher Efficiency Appliances

          If you have older appliances in your house, you could be wasting more money than you even think. It’s well documented that older appliances have very low efficiency ratings. The best way to see the most improvement and significantly reduce your overall utilities is to switch to Energy Star-rated appliances. Use this handy spread sheet to calculate your potential savings.

      11. Replacing Your Doors

          Another area of your home that can make a huge difference on your monthly bills is updating your outside doors. Many homeowners don’t even realize that their front door may be allowing the warm air to escape. Any outside door can attribute to heat loss. Depending on how old your door is the solution may be as simple as adding a storm door to outside doors to add an extra layer of insulation. Even if you have had a new door installed recently they may not always mean that the drafts are gone.

          To find out if your doors are leaking conduct this simple test: With your door shut, light a candle and start slowly running the candle around the edges of your door. If at any point the flame of the candle starts to flicker or go out, then you’ll know that your door is not doing its job of keeping heat in and cold out. It’s time for an upgrade! Canton Aluminum has a wide variety of Entry Doors & Storm Doors to choose from, if you’re still unsure of what door is best for you contact one of our experts and we will provide you with a free estimate and help you find the right solution for your home.

If you have any other energy-saving tips let us know! We’d love to hear all the great ways other homeowners are saving money!