How I Save on Energy Bills, to Splurge on Fun! @pge4me #PGEhome

Bills are something that I have a love/hate relationship.  I hate paying them of course but I love the services I get from them.  Like my heating bill is already going up but I couldn’t live with our heat.  Or then there is our electric which powers our lights, air conditioner, appliances, computers and so forth.

Here are some ways I save on our energy bills to my family can do fun things:

• Put plastic coverings on our windows and patio doors that we don’t use to seal them up.

• We had our chimney checked and cleaned for leaks.  We have it cleaned every two years.

• We have replaced all our appliances with Energy Star appliances, which are way more efficient.

• We are adding insulation in our attic this winter to help out with the drafts up there.  It is a few hundred dollars expense but it will save us in the long run. I think we can even get a tax credit for insulation!

• I turned down our water heater.  This not only saves money on our gas bill but it also helps with scalding water coming out if you have kids touching the faucets.

• I’ve lowered our thermostats and use a programmable thermostat.  I read just one degree can make a difference.

• I use cold water for our laundry.  I’ve read that heating water for the washer can account for 90% of the energy the machine uses.

• I air dry what I can to use less heat in my dryer.

• I always run a full load in my washer and dishwasher.  There is always something I can add to make it a full load!

• Speaking of laundry and the dishwasher, I try to run them at night as I have read that energy is cheaper at night time.  I either start them before bed or I use the Delay Start option both of them have.

• I don’t cheap out on detergents either, I tried using cheap ones and then I end up having to re-wash them which wastes more energy.

By saving money around my house on our energy use, I am able to save money towards fun activities.  Even if my bills only go down a few dollars that is still something.  It only costs a few dollars for a family movie night! I find it as a challenge to see how much I can save each month!  Any money I save I move over to our savings account.

PG&E is a company that proudly delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy.  They encourage energy efficiency and using less energy for both direct and indirect benefits.

Direct benefits:

• Financial:  saves money
• Productivity:  saves time
• Comfort:  improves the quality of life

Indirect benefits:

• Less strain on the grid which could reduce outages
• Less strain on other natural resources such as water
• Reduces emissions that can harm the environment

Looking for some more tips?  PG&E has some no cost, low cost and investment solutions for energy savings.  Have a project idea and looking for cutting costs?  Check out the PG&E Money Saver Tool.  Maybe you just want to research some appliances so you can start saving?  Check out the rebate catalog for energy rebates.

What are some ways you try to save money on energy?

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I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.