Reducing Your Utility Bill

The weather is changing, or in some cases, has changed already, which means that while the temperatures are falling, utilities are only going up.

If your house doesn’t have appropriate insolation, you are literally throwing money out of the window. In this day and age, there’s no reason to not have good insolation. With the advent of the internet and plenty of tutorials all over the place, you can save money by doing a few simple things. Many things require a professional, but you can at the very least save a few bucks a month.

Here are some tips that people can use to save money on utilities:

Seal windows/doors

If you have an old house, it is fairly likely that air is escaping through windows and doors. The more doors get warped, the less likely they are to hold a seal. This can become a problem quickly, especially if there is a big disparity in temperature between the inside and outside of your house. There are simple ways to fix this problem, though. First of all, you need to find out where the seal is broken. If your door causes drafts on the bottom, you can buy “door slippers” or build a small incline that meets with the bottom of the door. For windows, you can paint them shut, double seal them or add another piece of wood so that it meets the frame.

Insolate outlets

Though most people would never think about this, outlets provide air with the perfect way to get out of the house. Unlike walls, which have several layers of protection from the outside, outlets only have a small plastic lining to protect from the cold. The solution is simple, though. All you have to do is unscrew the outlet, put a layer of foam, caulk or lining, then screw it back in. Not only is this cost efficient, but nearly anyone can do it, regardless of expertise.

Insolate attic/basement

Even though no one ever sees the attic or basement doesn’t mean that it can go without attention. Heat rises and cool air falls, which means that during the winter months, if your attic isn’t properly insulated, you’re wasting a ton of money. All you need to do is go to the hardware store, ask for attic insolation and install it yourself. There are plenty of tutorials, but the basic premise is simple. Cover all the walls and ceiling, leaving no cracks behind.

Penching pennies doesn’t have to be a difficult process. If you have an old house, or even a new house, you are bound to lose air somewhere. If you can lower utilities, though, you can save hundreds of dollars per year without much effort whatsoever. Even if it’s just a few dollars, it’s better than nothing. Best of all, you will be environmentally friendly in the process while making your house more valuable in the long run.

Anthony Sens is a digital marketing specialist for Waterline LLC, a company that provides crude oil tank cleaning