It can be discouraging to get your electric bill and find that the price is still too high for your tastes. This especially applies to people who have just moved into new homes and are likely on a budget to begin with and are trying to keep the electricity bill low. Here are some tips that will help lower the cost of your electricity bill, while having the added benefit in increasing the efficiency of your home.

1. Install Dimmer Switches

This is great if you sometimes find that you keep using more light than necessary. When you install dimmer switches, you can use only as much light as you need.

2. Keep Your Vents Open and Clean

Assess your vents. If you are someone that has central air conditioning/heat, check the vents in your home. Some might actually be closed. After they are all open, the air/heat system will not struggle to keep your home cool/warm. Your vents also have air filters that keep any unwanted debris from blowing through your home – in order to maximize ideal airflow, replace those filters monthly.

3. Reduce Laundry Usage

You have several options in helping reduce laundry usage and costs.

1. Set up a clothesline if the weather is warm outside to naturally dry your clothes. For colder weather, hang clothes on a drying rack or shower rod.

2. Reduce heat. Heating the water in the washing machine takes up most of the energy that your machine uses. Instead wash in cold water to reduce costs.

3. Do laundry at non-peak hours. Companies offer discounted rated during non-peak hours (which commonly begin at 8 P.M.).

4. Switch to LEDs

LED light bulbs use 90 percent less energy than the regular incandescent bulbs. Switch out the most widely used bulbs in your home and replace the rest when the other ones burn out.

5. Adjust Dishwasher Use

Take advantage of the other alternatives that your dishwasher offers such as using the energy saving cycle if it has one. Also, give the air-dry, no-heat feature a dry, since most of the time, a lot of energy goes into heating the water in the dishwasher. Also, make sure to reduce the number of times you are using your dishwasher by making sure it’s completely full before turning it on.

6. Schedule HVAC Maintenance

Schedule yearly HVAC maintenance appointments to increase the efficiency of your HVAC system by having it inspected and cleaned each time. This will also offer cleaner air in your home.

7. Take Advantage of Shading

In the warmer months, you can cut down on air conditioning usage by closing all the curtains and blinds on the sunny side of your home. You can also consider installing tinted window films if necessary. Another option for more shading is to plant trees outside of your property that can shield the majority of the sun’s rays.

These are seven ways that you can help lower the cost of your electricity bill to save you from seeing such a spike every month. Not only do these help save money but it will help contribute to a more energy efficient home.