The winter season tends to bring a lot of happiness and busy activity with it. People like to bundle up, spend time with loved ones, eat comfort foods, sit by the fire, and attend parades, parties, and more.
They also tend to find themselves searching for ways to reduce costs. Not only are people spending more money this time of year due to holiday shopping, event preparations, traveling, and updating their wardrobe, but they also typically spend more money on utilities trying to keep themselves warm, decorate their apartment for the holidays, and light up the winter night.
Living expenses tend to soar during winter, leaving many people struggling to figure out how to pay for their apartment, utilities, food, and more. The good news is, while some expenses such as rent, are set, other expenses can easily be reduced if you know what to do.
Here are 7 easy ways you can reduce utilities costs:
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Dress warm indoors
Yes, it’s cold outside and it’s cold inside. You want to warm up your house but the more you use your heater, the more you have to spend on your bill. A great alternative to using your heater is putting on a cozy sweater and some nice wool socks. You won’t need to set your thermostat as high if you’re not as cold.
You can put extra blankets on your bed and couch in order to bundle up even more and keep your heater low.
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Use rugs if you don’t have carpet
Simple as it may seem, putting a rug on bare floor will reduce your heating costs. That is because rugs will trap the heat in instead of allowing it to escape out of the room. As a bonus, you can get rugs that add to your apartment aesthetic.
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Use energy efficient light bulbs
Using energy efficient light bulbs can greatly reduce the amount of electricity that you use. With LED bulbs, you get a lot more bang for your buck. They require less energy, they are much brighter, and they last longer. Energy efficient light bulbs are essentially a no-brainer.
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Insulate your windows
You can buy insulation for your windows or put up thermal curtains to perform the same function. Windows that are poorly insulated let heat escape, keeping your apartment colder, and making your heater run more.
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Unplug your electronics
Any appliance that is plugged into the outlet uses small amounts of energy, even when they aren’t in use. Most people have things that they keep plugged in but rarely use, such as a toaster, a fan, or an extra television. All of the energy used by those appliances adds up and costs you money on your bill.
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Install a smart thermostat if allowed in your apartment
Keeping the heater on when you’re not home costs you a ton of money. People will be gone for eight hours a day, and they’ll leave the heater running the entire time. Installing a smart thermostat is a great idea. You are able to program it for certain times so that the heat is off while you’re gone each day, and you can program it to turn back on a bit before you get home in order to warm up the apartment for your return.
The problem with a smart thermostat is that not every apartment complex will allow you to install one. You will need to check on the rules where you live. If you aren’t allowed to install one, you can use smart power strips. These power strips will turn off appliances that are plugged into them after a certain amount of time not being used. They won’t help with your heat, but they will ensure that other energy-draining things are turned off.
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Rotate your ceiling fans
While your ceiling fan can help to keep you cool in the summer, it serves a different purpose in the winter. If you reverse the blade rotation, it will pull the heat up and spread it around your apartment. This allows a little heat to go a long way.
Keep your costs low this winter
When winter comes you have the potential of high energy costs. But they don’t have to be the norm. Follow these tips and ensure that your utility bills are low this winter and your stress is even lower.