Category Archives: Electric Bill

Saving energy in your home is an effective way to help the environment, but it offers other benefits as well. When you improve energy efficiency, you’ll save on your utility bills. Installing timers for different appliances and devices in your home is a simple way to reduce the amount of energy you use on a regular basis. This results in significant savings on your electric, heating and cooling bills throughout the year.

Types of Timers

There are several kinds of timers available for Phoenix homeowners to use for better energy efficiency. Some of these include timers for hot water heaters, lighting, and smart thermostats. These timers provide you with an easy way to control the amount of energy your home uses.

Water heater timers allow you to reduce the amount of time your water heater runs during the day while lighting timers give you more control over how often your lights come on and how long they stay on. Smart thermostats have timers that can adjust your thermostat settings based on your daily habits for better energy efficiency. For example, your smart thermostat timer can raise the temperature in summer when you’re normally out of the house.

Appliance timers improve energy efficiency. These are separate timers that you can use to control a specific appliance or device, such as a coffee maker. If you want it to only be on for a certain period of time, you can install a timer for this purpose. Timers will turn off the appliance, preventing you from forgetting to turn them off when you’re not using them.

Timer Strips and Phantom Power

Timer strips can help you boost your energy efficiency and lower your utility bills. These strips look like regular power strips, but they have a timer on them that lets you control when they turn on and off. This helps prevent several devices, such as computers and TVs, from drawing “phantom” power when they’re plugged into the strip but not on.

Phantom power refers to the power that electrical devices and appliances use while they’re not in use. These items will still draw a low amount of power if they’re plugged in. While it might not seem like much, this phantom power lowers your energy efficiency.

Tips for Using Timers for Energy Efficiency

How can you make the most use out of your timers? You’ll need to determine when these timers should be set to turn on and off. This depends a lot on your daily routine, such as when you’re usually asleep or out of the house.

For example, you might set lighting timers to turn on and turn off for a certain period of time at night. This cuts down on energy usage that results when you leave lights on, even when you’re not in a room. Keep in mind that you can save energy and money by converting to LED lighting in your home.

Timers, in general, should prevent appliances, lights, devices, HVAC equipment and other sources of energy from turning on when they’re not needed. They should be used for ensuring that these items aren’t left running for extended periods of time.

Turn It On Electric has the experience to install all types of timers to help homeowners in the Phoenix area improve energy efficiency.

Contact us, and we’ll help you determine what types of timers your home needs and install them for you.

Your electricity bill can fluctuate from month to month, depending on how much energy your household uses. Certain items account for a much higher portion of your bill, while others only contribute a little. Being aware of the biggest energy contributors can help you find ways to lower your energy usage overall.

Biggest Energy Users

The biggest source of energy use in your home is your heating and cooling system. Whether you’re using your air conditioner in summer or your furnace in winter, this makes up the biggest expense on your electricity bill. In fact, heating and cooling account for close to half of an average household’s energy usage.

The next highest contributor to your electricity bill is your water heater. Consider how often you rely on your water heater for hot or warm water in order to shower, take a bath, wash your hands, do your laundry or wash your dishes. This energy use adds up over time. Your water heater accounts for roughly 14% of your household’s energy use.

Your washer and dryer are also big energy users. Think about how many loads of laundry you do on a regular basis. The larger your family is the more loads of laundry you go through. This requires a considerable amount of energy for running your washing machine and dryer. Washers and dryers use around 13% of your total household energy.

Lighting is another big contributor to your electricity bill. If you’re home during the day, you most likely have lights on in your living room and kitchen most of the time. Having these lights on much of the time adds up in terms of energy usage. Lighting is just behind washer and dryers at 12% of a household’s energy use.

Smaller Energy Users

There are other items in your household that can make some difference in your electricity bill. However, these items don’t take up as much power as the larger contributors. Some of the smaller items that use energy include refrigerators, electric ovens, TVs, cable boxes, dishwashers, and computers. Vacuum cleaners and hair dryers also use a lot of electricity, although you usually only run them for shorter periods of time.

Ways to Save Energy

Finding ways to reduce the amount of energy you use helps make your electricity bill lower on an ongoing basis. You can lower your household’s energy usage by doing the following:

• Switch to LED lighting – LED lighting uses much less energy than incandescent bulbs, and LED bulbs typically last longer. Installing LED lighting or using LED bulbs might cost more upfront, but you save a significant amount over time by using less energy.
• Unplug devices that you’re not using – Certain devices, such as cable boxes, computers, DVD players and microwaves still draw energy while they’re plugged in, even if you’re not using them.
• Use a power strip – If possible, plug devices that drain energy into a power strip. Shut the entire strip off when you’re not using any of these devices. This provides a more convenient way to prevent these devices from drawing power, so you can enjoy a lower electricity bill.
• Adjust your thermostat – Lower your thermostat a few degrees in winter and raise it a few degrees in summer for a lower electricity bill. Your heating and cooling system won’t have to run as much.

If you need help converting to LED lights, installing timers, or have other concerns about the electricity in your home or office, call Turn It On Electric.

For many months of the year, your electricity cost may be a burden on your budget. Phoenix summers are unrelentingly hot and long, and energy bills skyrocket. It is possible to trim the bills associated with keeping your home comfortable by using major appliances wisely.

The biggest energy consumers in homes today include:

• Heating and cooling systems
• Water heaters
• Swimming pool pumps
• Cooking and refrigerating food
• Clothes dryers

Choose a Plan

Both SRP and APS offer time-of-use plans that will lower your electricity cost as long as you pay close attention to the peak hours. These plans work well in situations where:

• You’re away during the day.
• The home is well-insulated and has energy efficient windows.
• You have an electric water heater or a pool pump you can put on a timer.

Heating and Cooling Systems

• Use a programmable thermostat to control temperatures if your home isn’t occupied on a routine daily schedule.
• Check the air filter for your HVAC system monthly. Nothing drives up the electricity cost faster than a dirty filter. The dust that builds on it slows down the air flowing through the air handler. As a result, it takes longer for the A/C to heat or cool your home.
• Have your HVAC system serviced at least once a year. The HVAC professional will clean and adjust the parts to bring them back to factory standards as much as possible.
• Keep an eye out for ductwork leaks. Leaking ducts drive up its electrical cost quickly since they waste some of the air you’ve paid to condition.
• Keep the outdoor condenser clean and leave a three-foot boundary around it for ample airflow.

Water Heater

Even though the incoming water warms up in the summer, it still costs a lot to heat it. Shave your electricity cost for water heating by:

• Draining a few quarts of water from the bottom of the tank twice a year to flush sediment.
• Turning the temperature down to 120 degrees F.

Pool Pumps

• Skim the leaves out of the pool and sweep it manually.
• Replace an old pump with an Energy Star device to significantly lower your electricity cost.

 

Laundry

• Wash full loads only.
• Put off clothes drying until sunset or early in the morning. A clothes dryer puts plenty of heat into the home during the summer.
• Clean the lint filter after each use. If you use dryer sheets, scrub the filter frequently to prevent a residual buildup that blocks the airflow through the filter.

Cooking

• Break out the slow cooker for homemade, healthy meals as the outdoor temperature climbs. If it’s safe and secure, place it on a patio table to cut even more electricity cost. The heat will stay outside and won’t warm the kitchen.
• Keep the refrigerator and freezer reasonably full. A full refrigerator stays colder than an empty one. If you need to fill it, store items like water, flour, oatmeal, or sugar inside it.
• Run full loads in the dishwasher and use the air dry setting.

Lowering the Electricity Cost with Lighting

Take a walk through the house looking for outdated light bulbs and change them to LEDs. Besides lowering your electricity cost, these bulbs emit less heat than incandescent bulbs, which lowers cooling bills. If you want the greatest energy savings, ask Turn It On Electric to show you how you can use LED lighting with smart technology to cut energy use.

Contact Turn It On Electric for help lowering your electricity cost without having to sacrifice home comfort or conveniences today.

Most Arizona consumers are very selective when it comes to choosing their phone service provider, deciding which gas station to go to save the most amount of money, or picking a car insurance company that has the cheapest rates. However, when it comes to saving on the costs of electric bills, very few residents know exactly what they are paying for or how to lower your costs. This article will lay out 10 different strategies you can do to help drastically lower your electricity bill so that you can save and spend money on the things in life that are really important to you.

10 Ways To Save Money On Your Electricity Bill In Arizona

1. Determine the cost per kilowatt-hour of electricity used per month.

I know this sounds pretty confusing, but it is really simple, and will take you just a few minutes to figure out. To do this, take your total cost on the electric bill and divide it by the total kilowatt-hours.

You’ll see how this step will save you money in the next few steps.

2. Do not choose a standard or basic plan from your utility company

Too many customers choose the standard plan because it is easier to understand. However, the standard plan will end up costing the most amount of money.

A standard electricity plan, during the hottest months (May through October), can get very expensive, depending on the usage rate. However, with some of the other available plans, you have the option of having low-cost times and high-cost times, which can save you a fortune.

3. Get on a time of use plan

In combination with tip #2 above, if you purchase a time of use plan, you can save a ton of money by using energy hungry appliances during the off-peak times.

Since people are more likely to use things such as the A/C and fans during times of the day when it is really hot, utility companies really increase the prices during these times.

Use A/C, turn your fan on, and use appliances during off-peak hours to save a ton of money.

4. Run washing machines and dryers at night and in the morning instead of the afternoon

By running washing machines during non-peak hours, such as during nighttime and morningtime, your energy costs will go down substantially and you will save a good chunk of money.

5. Run the A/C at night and in the morning

By doing this, you can help keep your house cool, so that during peak hours when the A/C is turned off, the house will still be at a nice temperature.

6. Be aware of “demand charges”

Often time, utility companies offer lower costs to reel in unknowing customers only to impose what is called a “demand charge” on them. What this means is although energy costs are lower, which is great for saving money, a demand charge of over $13 will be given for every kilowatt (which is different than a kilowatt-hour) used during the hour that you use the most amount of energy during the month.

In simpler terms, you will get charged substantially more during the day of the month that you use the most amount of energy.

For example, if you decide to throw a party one night for all of your friends and family and you use a lot of energy, in the form of A/C, cooking, dishwasher, etc., the utility company will charge $13.50 per kilowatt used, which can drastically increase your bill by $100 or more.

7. Keep your drapes closed to help keep the heat out

By closing your drapes, it helps to insulate your house and keep the heat away, which can greatly decrease your electricity bill.

8. Avoid taking baths

Taking showers uses less water. Instead of taking baths, try to take short showers instead to help save on energy costs!

9. Switch to LEDs

LED light bulbs are way more efficient and save up to $80 over the course of the bulb’s lifespan. Using LEDs, as well as turning off unused lights, can help decrease costs on your energy bill.

10. Use cold water or warm water when possible

Using hot water costs a lot more in energy costs than using cold water. Whether it is your dishwasher, your laundry machine, or taking a shower, it can save a substantial amount of money if you use cold water, rather than hot water. Better yet, contact Turn It On Electric to install an energy saving water heater timer. This way your water heater will only heat water when you need it.