How to reduce this winter’s rising energy costs

Indianapolis, Indiana – This year, turning up the heat is more expensive due to the increase in inflation, and many individuals are dealing with larger bills. According to AES, fuel adjustment fees caused a late-year 12% increase in utility prices.

Use appliances intelligently, and advise experts, to save your utility costs. For instance, utility companies advise turning the thermostat down 7 to 10 degrees from its usual setting before you leave home for work or an extended length of time to save energy.

To keep your furnace from working too hard to transfer heat throughout the house, Consumer Reports suggests switching to energy-efficient light bulbs and changing air filters frequently. To save money, you can also try replacing outdated appliances. According to energy conservation expert Cyndi Bray, who also created a technology to untangle laundry sheets and properly dry them, a new washing machine with an energy star rating, for instance, uses 25% less electricity. She claims that using the washer and dryer is another time and money waste.

“Energy cost to run the dryer in the US for an hour is 65 cents per hour. So an easy tip to reduce your cost is to turn the temperature down to low,” Bray said.

In addition, Bray advises clearing the lint trap and delaying washing until you have a full load. “Even if you have to run the dryer for a longer period. You are going to save a lot of energy running on warm than hot, and bonus, your clothes are going to last longer if you wash on cold and dry on low,” Bray said.

Even while it may not seem like much, even small savings over time can add up. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, one in every six US families has unpaid utility bills. In order to reduce higher bills this winter, see whether you may enroll in your utility company’s budget billing plan, which stretches payments over 12 months. If you get behind on your payments, flexible payment plans could also be offered.