7 Ways to Reduce Your Utility Bills

By Christine Ascher on October 26, 2017

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When you first move into an apartment, you may find that your utility costs are higher than anticipated. Especially considering that you didn’t need to account for them when living in a student dorm, utilities can often become an unwelcome burden on your expenses.

If you find yourself caught off-guard by the extra costs that come with living in an apartment, don’t worry; there are plenty of ways that you can lower them, just by being a little more aware and implementing some simple, energy-saving measures. You can start off with these seven tips.

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1. Turn off the lights when you leave the room

This is a simple one, but if you tend to be forgetful or lazy when it comes to turning off the lights, it can make a big difference. Make sure you’re always turning overhead lights and lamps off whenever you leave a room. Even if you’re planning to return to the room in a little while, turn the lights off while you’re gone; after all, it won’t be a big deal to turn them back on when you come back.

In addition, make an effort to double-check that all the lights are off whenever you leave your apartment — you’ll waste a lot of energy and rack up that utility bill anytime you forget to turn the lights off before heading off to class. Just being more cognizant of the issue can often make a big difference.

2. Pay attention to energy-efficiency

You can save a lot of money on your utilities simply by installing some more energy-efficient items in your apartment. For instance, you can replace your light bulbs with energy-efficient ones, such as LED and CFL bulbs. You can also replace your faucets, including those in your kitchen and bathroom sinks and your shower head, with low-flow fixtures, which will limit water flow to help you cut down on the amount that you use.

By installing these items, you’ll be able to reduce your utility bills with minimal effort and without having to alter your habits.

3. Unplug your electronics when they’re not in use

Though it’s convenient to leave your electronics plugged in at all times, they can still use energy even when they’re switched off. It’s better, for this reason, to get in the habit of unplugging your electronics when they’re not in use. This goes for smaller items, such as your phone and laptop chargers, and larger items like your toaster as well.

Again, this will help you save on utilities without actually decreasing the amount of electricity that you consciously use; instead, it just helps you become more efficient and avoid waste.

4. Limit your water use

Water can be a major utility cost, but you can control that cost by making a conscious effort to limit its use wherever possible. Taking shorter showers, for instance, is one easy way to do this. In addition, you can make sure that you turn the water off while brushing your teeth, limit how much you rinse off dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, and avoid turning the sink on full-force.

These may seem like small instances of saving, but put together over the course of the month, you’ll be able to limit your utility costs just by cutting some corners.

5. Run dishwashers and do laundry only when you have a full load

If you have a dishwasher or your own laundry machine, remember that these appliances tend to use a lot of water whenever they’re run and can therefore quickly increase your water bill. Limit their use by only running the dishwasher when it’s full, and only doing your laundry when you have a full load. While you may be tempted by the convenience to use these machines more often than is strictly necessary, the money that you’ll save on your utility bill will make cutting down worthwhile.

6. Control your apartment’s temperature

Another big addition to your utility bills comes from your air conditioning or heating. Rather than keeping your apartment at one temperature all the time, try to adjust the temperature as needed to reduce the amount of air conditioning or heating actually used.

For instance, adjust your thermostat to a lower temperature in the winter or a higher temperature in the summer whenever you leave, so that you’re not wasting money keeping your apartment at the ideal temperature even when you’re not there. On more moderate days, you can even turn the air conditioning or heat off and open the windows if it starts to get stuffy.

7. Limit TV watching

Another easy way to save is by catching up on your favorite shows on your laptop, instead of on the TV itself. Especially if you like to leave the TV on as you go about your day to give you some background noise, that’s going to be reflected on your utility bill. Limit the time you spend watching the TV so that you’re not paying for an unnecessary use of electricity, and consider switching to your computer instead.

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