by Maria C Collins

Created on: February 25, 2009   Last Updated: January 25, 2010

Electricity is frighteningly expensive these days. Many people would like to cut their electricity bill down to size. There are many things that you can do to cut down on your use of electricity.

Here are some simple things that cost very little. Always turn off lights in unoccupied rooms. Look into replacing your light bulbs with either low energy bulbs or the new LED lamps.

Switch televisions, computers and other electrical equipment right off, all those little red stand by lights mount up and together they use a great deal of power.

When doing the laundry, ensure that you have a full load before you start up the washing machine. Use the lowest temperature setting that you can, modern synthetic fabrics do not require very high temperatures. Tumble driers use lots of power, so when the weather is fine hang your laundry on the washing line outside to dry.

In the kitchen too, there are ways of cutting down on electricity. Electric ovens take a very long time to heat up and a long time to cool down again. It makes sense, therefore, to plan your cooking so that you make the best use of the oven while it is on. If you are making a casserole make double or treble the quantity and freeze what you do not need immediately. Turn an electric oven off ten minutes or so before the end of the cooking time.

Insulation is another way to save on electricity; Buy an insulating jacket for your hot water tank, heating water is a large part of your electricity bill, and an insulating jacket will keep the heat in your tank, rather than it dispersing into the atmosphere. Turn the thermostat on your hot water tank down a few degrees, it is not necessary, desirable or safe to have the hot water boiling hot.

There are other more drastic ways to cut your electricity bill but these require a substantial financial outlay and may not be suitable in your individual house or circumstances. Look into the possibilities of installing solar panels on your roof. These can heat your hot water. If you live in a very sunny place, solar panels can make electricity and help power your whole house. Solar panels used to be very expensive but they are coming down in price. In some countries, you can get a grant from your government or your local authority to assist you in purchasing solar panels or a refund on your tax bill.

Wind turbines too, can create electricity and power your house. These, too, were rather dear but, in recent times, prices have fallen considerably.

If your solar panels or wind turbines create more electricity than your house needs in many countries it is possible to upload surplus electricity to the national grid, and have the electricity company pay you rather than you having to pay them. In most western countries a householder can claim a grant from either National, regional or local government to assist with the initial cost of either wind turbines or solar panels.

These are just a few suggestions as to how you can cut your electricity bill to a more manageable size. There are many other ways of slashing your electricity bill, try them and see which suit your particular needs.

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