10 Ways to Lower Your Power Bill

Sure, solar is more efficient and more affordable than ever before (zero-down to be exact) but let's face it, with summer right around the corner, those of us who haven't taken the solar plunge are looking for ways to lower our power bills ASAP! You're in luck, the team at #AllSunSolutions has compiled a top 10 list of proven ways to reduce your electricity usage and see significant monthly savings on that dreaded utility bill.

Jump to the list.

In order to lower your power bill and see the biggest savings, you have to first understand how your bill is calculated. Think of energy like the gasoline you put in your car. You go to the local gas station and purchase fuel by the gallon. If it costs you $30 to fill your car up and your car holds roughly 15 gallons of fuel, you most likely paid around $2 per gallon for gas. You’ve most likely seen these per gallon prices displayed on the large marquee boards outside of all gas stations. Paying for your energy is the same concept, you pay PER unit. That energy "unit" is called a kilowatt hour (kWh). Unfortunately, we do not get to drive around town and pick the utility company offering the lowest price per kWh (like we might do to ensure we find the best deal on gasoline). When it comes to purchasing energy, we only have one option and according to the U.S. Energy Information Association, the Golden State has the 4th highest rate per kWh in the country. As of March 2021, the average rate per kWh for Californians is a staggering $.275.

Tank Fill Up = average price per gallon x total gallons

Example: [$30 = $2.00 x 15]

Monthly Power Bill = average price per kWh x total kWh

Example: [$242 = $.275 x 880kWh]

Regionally, Californians only have one utility provider option, (unless you invest in alternative energy production systems, for example solar panels average kWh rates around $.14) you simply cannot control nor choose your per kWh rate, the only thing you can control is how many total kWh you use. So with that in mind, we have curated a list of 10 proven ways to reduce your total kWh usage, which is the only way to save in the Golden State if you don’t have solar!

1. Utilize Smart Technology

• Smart plugs and bulbs can be linked, scheduled, and synched. For example, connect a WIFI enabled garage door hub to the light bulbs in your home, and you have the option to turn off all the lights every time you leave or according to a specific daily schedule or routine. The possibilities are endless in this emerging Smart Home market and you can ensure you’ll never be wasting precious kWh on powering unnecessary items in your absence!

2. Cool Down that Water Heater

• Adjusting your hot waters default setting by 20 degrees can save you up to 10% on your power bill! This number increases even more when dropped to the lowest setting while out of town or on vacation!

3. While you’re at it, Cool Down that Laundry

• Unless, it's dry-clean only or an item with very specific instructions…wash your clothes on cold. Just switching from the “hot” cycle to the “warm” cycle can save you in major ways! According to a study done by the Smithsonian, 75% of the energy used in laundry comes from the cost of simply heating the water!

4. Shorten That Shower

• Reducing your time in the shower by 2 minutes can reduce your water usage on average by 5 gallons and unless you’re taking cold showers...we know from #3 on this list that it takes A LOT of power to heat water for our homes.

5. Learn Your Dishwasher Settings

• You know all of those fancy buttons on your dishwasher you rarely ever use?! Yeah, well consider them your new BFF, as they could be saving you BIG TIME! Look specifically for an air-dry setting, eco-mode, or s quick wash button, using any of these settings could be saving you upwards of 15% monthly!

6. Weather Strip Everything

• If you don’t already have weather stripping around your doors and windows, this is a simple and affordable way to cut down on the energy your home uses for both heating and/or cooling. Even if you already have weather stripping, it doesn’t hurt to check or even replace older leaky weather stripping. A trip to your local hardware store or even Amazon can get your project rolling and have you well on your way to lowering your energy use.

7. Touch that Thermostat

• Adjusting your thermostat by 10 degrees before you go to bed can save you 10% monthly while you sleep! And adjusting the temperature in your home doesn't stop there. Did you know you can also adjust your refrigerator and freezer thermostat as well? Try setting your fridge to 38 degrees and your freezer to 2 degrees, this seemingly small adjustment won’t spoil your food and will help your appliance’s workload, ultimately putting cash back in your pocket!

8. Give Your Attic Some Attention

• Homeowners don’t spend a lot of time thinking about their attic because it's out-of-sight, out-of-mind. You may not realize it but your attic is a major culprit of energy waste. Heat gets trapped during the summer and escapes during the winter. The two best fixes, insulation and an attic fan. Adding insulation to your attic can be a huge benefit for heat loss during the winter and having an attic fan installed can be a game changer for residents in regions with triple digit summer months.

9. Appliance Audit

• If you have older appliances (refrigerator, microwave, dish washer, washer/dryer, water heater, etc.) and you can swing the cost of replacing them with more energy efficient models, it's wise to do so. ENERGY STAR rated appliances are incredibly efficient, using on average 9-25% less energy than conventional rated models. If buying new appliances isn’t an option financially, devise a game plan. Audit your appliances and figure out which are the oldest and/or least efficient. You can strategically devise a game plan of which should be replaced first and what new ENERGY STAR models you have your eye on. Come fall, you will be MORE than prepared to jump on any Black Friday deals that pop-up!

10. Stop Throwing Money Out The Window

• Quite literally, 10-25% of your energy could be going right through those old windows during peak months. Windows can be a scary project because of the price-tag but it just makes more sense to invest in your home and stop lining the pockets of your local utility provider. Spend your money on windows and you increase the value of your investment, your home. Throw your money out the window by heating/cooling your neighborhood…you’ll never see a return on that “investment”.

We know that some of these suggestions can be expensive and if you’re struggling with your utility bills or you’re just plain tired of wasting money on them, it's important to know that solar has come a long way in the past few years. In fact, based on average credit, systems require zero down-payment and eliminate your utility usage bill entirely, leaving you with 1 monthly fixed rate solar payment that is 60% (on average) lower than what you were paying for power previously. Explore our Learning Hub and play around with the tools for solar calculations and energy forecasting!