The Complete Guide to Saving Money on Your Utility Bills: 57 Easy Tips

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Owning a home is OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive.

Between the mortgage, property taxes, annual maintenance, utility costs, and miscellaneous expenses, all of the expenses can really crush your budget and cut into your financial goals.

But there is a silver lining: there are A TON of things that we can all do today to start saving money on those utility bills and lower that cost a little bit. But it’s gonna’ take a little bit of effort.

So today we’re going to talk about 57 of the best ways to save money on your utility bills. This list is comprised of a couple years of experience in owning my own home, increased utility expenses, and the hours of research and writing I put into this post.

Now there are countless more extremely specific ways to save money on your utility expenses that I didn’t add into this post. Feel free to keep looking into other posts if it will help. But what I’ve put into this list are the absolute easiest and best ways to try and save on your utility bills. Hopefully this list helps. Let’s get started!

57 Easy tips to save money on your utility bills

1. Energy audit

The first thing can do to help save money on your utilities is to have a professional come do an energy audit on your home. Normally, this is someone from your home’s power company and can be free. But you can also elect to pay a local electrician or handyman.

They’ll come out and do the audit by checking a lot of the things that are on this list. They’ll ask you home maintenance questions, inspect a lot of different things that could cost you money if not taken care of, and will give you some tips on things you can do to improve your home (and save you money). As of the writing of this post, we will be scheduling this for our home.

Check out energy.gov’s post here for more info on energy audits and assessments.

I also love this Energy Saver 101 Infographic here on energy.gov.

2. LED, CFL, or low cost bulbs

LED, CFL, and low-cost bulbs can be a ridiculously easy way to reduce your electricity bill. Just go to your local hardware store and find bulbs that advertise as “low-cost” or “low wattage.” Get them and change out your bulbs at home. Your power bill will thank you.

This LED lightbulb guide here on familyhandyman.com should help.

3. Energy-efficient appliances

I know you may love that old 1978 dryer that you’ve fixed like 167 times. It’s basically a family member at this point. But did you know that your old appliance could be costing you A LOT of money in electricity costs? Yep, those old machines use A LOT OF POWER. Obviously if you have a decent appliance, I recommend keeping it around for as long as possible. But if your old washer or dryer is older than you, you might want to consider upgrading to something from this millennium. It could save you a lot of dough in the long run.

4. Energy Star products

These days, Energy Star products are essentially the standard. According to energystar.gov, “To earn the ENERGY STAR, they must meet strict energy efficiency criteria set by the US Environmental Protection Agency or the US Department of Energy.” These products will help you save money on your power bill and help protect the environment with less emissions. And there are a lot of different products to choose from. So whenever you’re shopping for appliances or tech equipment, check to see if that specific product has earned the Energy Star badge.

5. High-tech smart thermostat

A high-tech smart thermostat can be a really great way to save up to 10% percent or more on your power bill. They do this by automatically building schedules for climate control based on a user’s preferences, thus saving energy (and saving you money).

Check out this article here on digitaltrends.com that shows you more on how the smart thermostat can save you money.

Also, if you’re on the fence about getting one, check out this pros and cons list here on digital trends.com.

6. “Vampire” electronics

As we all know, just unplugging some of those electronic devices you have can save you money. A lot of devices, even when powered off, can use electricity! They call these “vampire” electronics. And one easy way to fix the issue of vampire energy is to just make sure your electronics are unplugged from the wall.

I’m not suggesting that you unplug everything that’s plugged in all the time. But unplug things that you don’t use that often. For example, my Xbox and our record player are two things that are always unplugged. When we use them, it’s easy to plug them back in for use.

For more, check out this guide here on paylesspower.com on how to get rid of vampire energy.

7. Smart power strips

One easy way to eliminate that vampire energy is by plugging electronics into a power strip. Have everything plugged in and simply turn the main power button off. That will shut everything down and you can even unplug the power strip to eliminate all possible vampire energy.

Smart power strips are great as well. And they can help monitor that vampire energy by shutting off all power to certain plugs that are plugged in. Check out more here on smart power strips.

8. Smart switches to lights

Smart switches are similar to regular light switches but can benefit you in two ways: 1) you can control them remotely and 2) you can schedule them to turn off. Both of those can help you save energy.

9. Always turn off lights

One thing that I always try to do to save money on electricity is to always turn off lights. I don’t mean when you actually need light to see. But those times when you’re just using a light because you want more light. Sometimes I’ll do this. But normally, if I don’t NEED the light, I’ll turn it off.

For example, here are two times when I always try to cut the lights off: first, every time I leave a room and don’t know if I’ll be coming back in the room. Or just when I leave the room. Cut out the lights and head on somewhere else. Second, if it’s daylight outside and you don’t need to use electricity, shut it off.

10. Use natural light

Natural light has been used by people for thousands and thousands of years. Electricity is only recent to the last 100 years or so. And even then, most people still used a fireplace and candles to light their homes. So natural light was the standard. It’s also FREE. So anytime you can use natural light to work or do things in your home, just keep the lights off. That will help you save some money on your power bill in the long run.

11. Clean your dryer duct

Not only does cleaning out your dryer duct keep you safe and prevent fires from starting due to lint build up, but it can also save you (on average) $288 dollars per year according to pieg.com’s post here. The average cost of this is $100 or more but can easily save you double or triple that over the year!

12. Add flap AND a cover to dryer vent

Not having a flap or something to cover your dryer vent could cause cold/warm air (and other things like birds) to come through the opening. That cold or warm air coming through could cost you on the energy side if it ends up making your heating system or A/C system work a little bit harder.

And believe me when I say that you should have a flap AND a cover on this dryer vent. The flap is important for the first part of this section. The cover is important so that birds and other things don’t get into your dryer vent. That can be annoying and costly if this happens. Because you may have to hire a professional to get the problem out. After one of the birds died in our vent, we spent over $200 to have someone get rid of the birds and the smell.

13. Fill gaps around electrical outlets

This can be an easy way to improve your energy consumption. Sometimes, outlets that are not insulated can leak cold air into your house. This causes your heat unit to work more, using more energy, and costing you more money. Simple insulation around each outlet can help with that. Check out familyhandyman.com’s post here on insulating your electrical outlets.

14. Fill gaps under sink

If you’ve got gaps under your sink, where pipes feed through walls, you’ve most likely got places where air can get through. Just like with the electrical outlets, that can mean wasted energy. Get some expanding spray foam and seal those gaps up!

15. Use appliances wisely

It’s smart to only use your appliances, like your dishwasher or your washer and dryer, only when they’re completely filled with dishes or clothes. Because each of these appliances uses a good deal of water and electricity, so you don’t want to waste for just a small amount of dishes or clothes. Only run these appliances when they’re completely full and ready to go!

16. Air dry clothes

I gotta say that this one would probably be pretty tough for my family to do. But if you could swing it, it would definitely save you some money on your power bill. This is what people used to do before dryers made it easy. They would simply hang a line between trees or their house and a pole. Then they would take their clothes and hang them on that line to air dry. Hey, it was free and it worked! It was also the only option that they had. If you’re able to do this, try it out. But I think we’re just going to stick to using the dryer!

17. Wool dryer balls

My wife loves wool dryer balls. She got them because they’re a one-time purchase and they last for a LONG time. We’re working on saving money with them and avoiding the chemicals from dryer sheets.

But wool dryer balls can also help you save money on your power bill by helping you dry your clothes faster, thus not having to run the dryer as much. Less dryer run time equals energy savings. So get some wool dryer balls today!

18. Open up blinds (winter)

One easy way to help save a little bit of money on your power bill in the winter is to let the sun heat your house. All you have to do is open up your blinds or shades! The natural light is great for not having to use your lights as much during the daytime and the sun will help warm your house, leading to less energy usage.

19. Turn down heat in the winter

Pair this tip with the last tip. One really easy way to save money on your power bill during the winter is to turn your thermostat down a few degrees. Yes, it’s going to be colder in your home. If you don’t care, that’s great. Save that money! If you think it’s too cold, try to do what I said in tip #18 and open up those blinds. Your house will easily warm up a couple of degrees.

20. Winter curtains (summer)

Winter curtains can be a great way to cool down your house once it gets a little bit hotter outside. I actually learned how well these worked last year when our A/C went out in the middle of the summer. We just closed up all the blinds and it instantly started getting a little bit cooler.

21. Ceiling fans in the summer!

When we were dealing with our A/C issue, we also ran all of our ceiling fans and box fans. Now this is a little extreme under normal circumstances, but we had to do it would stay decently cool in our house for the day. I was very surprised that it never got hotter than 75 degrees in our house!

If you’re looking to just cool down your house a little bit, close your curtains and run your ceiling fans. That way, you’re not overstressing your A/C unit AND you don’t have to run the A/C as cold. All of that can equal savings on your power bill.

22. Plant trees on sunny side of house (summer)

Now this tip might take you a couple of years to come into fruition, but it could help you save money in the summer once you’re able to finally take advantage of it. That is to plant trees on the sunny side of your house. In a few years, those trees will grow and will shade your house from the sun. Like I said, this is a long term play. But it could help you keep your house cool in the summer once those trees grow up.

23. Cook indoors in the winter and outdoors in the summer

One last off-the-wall way of saving on electricity is by optimizing your seasonal cooking. In the winter, make sure to always cook indoors. This will allow the heat from the stove to help heat your home and help you use a little bit less energy. In the summer, try to cook outside on the grill more. This will help to keep your house just a little bit cooler. It may not be saving a bunch of money every month. But hey, every single hard-earned penny counts, right?

24. Solar panels

Obviously solar panels are a little expensive and might not work for your home. We also tell people NEVER to borrow money to buy them. So solar might be out of the question. But if you can afford to pay cash for some solar panels, this could be a really great investment. Solar harnesses the power of the sun and turns it into electricity. That means that you could potentially save thousands every year on your power bill (or eliminate it altogether). So if you can swing it, solar can make a fantastic addition to your home.

25. Low-flow shower heads

Low-flow shower heads are the water-saving equivalent of low-wattage, low-cost light bulbs. Buying a couple of new shower heads can cut down the amount of gallons you’re using daily and can also cut down your water bill by a few dollars every month.

26. Shower count

I’m a big fan of the shower count. This is an easy way to save money on your water bill just by taking quicker showers. If you have a timer, go ahead and use it. I just count while I’m in the shower and generally try to keep my showers under 3 minutes. Now you don’t have to be this extreme, but if you take 10 minute showers, try to cut them down to 5-6 minutes each. Each 2 minutes you cut out equals about 2.5 gallons of water saved. Over the course of the month, that can be 60-100 less gallons used and a little bit of money saved on your water bill.

27. Adjust the hot water heater

By doing this next tip, you can potentially save up to 10% on your water bill. It’s very simple – just turn your hot water down about 15-20 degrees to about 120 degrees fahrenheit. Check out homeworksenergy.com’s post here on adjusting your hot water heater.

28. Hot water heater timer

You can also add a timer to your hot water heater. This timer allows you to only run your hot water heater at certain times of the day, thus completely turning it off for extended periods. All of that will allow you to save extra money on your power and water bills.

29. Drain your hot water heater

We all want our hot water heaters to perform the best that they can. Because if it doesn’t run well, it could malfunction or run poorly costing you valuable dollars on your utility bills. This post here on hgtv.com states that you should have you hot water heater drained every 1-2 years.

30. Wrap pipes for insulation

Insulating your hot water pipes is another great way to help save you some money by not allowing for excess heat loss when your water heater is doing it’s job. The more heat you lose, the more the hot water heater has to work, and the more money you waste in your utility bills.

31. Tankless water heater

Tankless water heaters are fantastic. They heat water on-demand, so your unit isn’t running all the time and wasting a ton of energy. All of that means that you’re using 30-50% less energy and saving a ton of money every year. They’re also super compact so there’s no huge water heater tank taking up extra space anywhere in your house.

32. Repair any leaks or maintenance issues

One way to avoid major repair issues in the future is to make sure you’re taking care of any and all leaks or maintenance issues that you’re currently experiencing at your house. It’s important to get these taken care of for two reasons:

Issues tend to stack up and become hard to deal with if you keep putting them off. On top of added costs, if you put one thing off, another issue usually pops up to cause another issue. If you have a leak, fix it.
Water leaks or issues in the home can cause DEVASTATING damage if not taken care of immediately. From mold, to water damage, and much more. Don’t let these issues go. Get them fixed asap!

33. Aerators on faucets

Aerators are simples fixtures that can be retrofitted on most sinks. They’re highly-efficient and allow you to use less water. And less water equals more savings!

34. Don’t run the water while brushing your teeth

I’ve noticed that it’s easy to leave your faucet running while you brush your teeth. Don’t do this. You’re just wasting water that doesn’t need to be wasted. While brushing, simply turn the water off. Turn it back on to rinse and cut it back off when you’re done.

35. Low-flow toilets

Low-flow toilets can be a great way to use less water just from buying a low-flow toilet. You’ll have to pay a little bit up front, most likely a few hundred dollars, but this could help you save over $100 dollars a year!

36. Use the dishwasher

Instead of hand washing dishes and wasting A LOT of water(and time for that matter), just throw everything in your dishwasher and run that to clean your dishes. It will save you about 8-10 gallons of water or more every time you run the dishwasher, compared with washing those same dishes by hand. If you don’t use it enough now, start using that dishwasher. And if you don’t have one, think about getting one!

37. Wash your clothes on cold

If you have clothes that aren’t completely soiled, try running them through your washer on the cold water setting. Most washers these days are extremely efficient so they’ll wash fine with warm or cold water. But cold water doesn’t have to be heated, so each load will cost less. So if you’re able to run your clothes through a cold cycle, you’ll be saving a little bit of money with less energy.

38. Quality replacements

Whether you’re replacing an A/C unit, a fridge, a dryer, windows, or some insulation, you always want to make sure that you pick QUALITY replacements for whatever the situation is calling for. Obviously price matters, and it’s okay to pick an affordable replacement, but don’t cheap out. Don’t pick something that will only last a few months to a year. Spend the extra money to buy a product that will last you multiple years or longer.

39. Change air filters regularly

One of the easiest ways to make sure you don’t face increased energy costs is to regularly replace your the air filters in your home about every 3 months. It’s cheap and easy, so make sure you’re doing this!

40. Maintain your A/C or heat unit

One huge way to make sure you’re not facing increased energy costs or major repairs is by always maintaining your A/C unit and furnace or heating system. Annual maintenance is VERY important and doesn’t cost a whole lot. And the A/C company will probably give you a discount if you buy both the summer and winter maintenance plan (they come out twice a year). We usually save about $50 dollars a year by buying their summer and winter maintenance plan.

41. Clean your refrigerator coils

Making sure to clean or having a pro come and clean your refrigerator coils is how you keep your fridge running as efficiently as possible. Your fridge is EXTREMELY important because it keeps all your perishable food from going bad. But that constant energy use can be expensive. Dirty coils can cause the fridge to have to work harder and use more energy. That costs more money. Also, if your coils malfunction, it could cause bigger issues. And those usually cost money, too.

42. Fix any energy issues

Just like what I said earlier with repairing your leaks, if you’re having any issues with items in your home that use energy, get them fixed. They’re probably costing you on your power bill and could potentially cause you to have a major repair in the future. So don’t wait! Fix whatever issue you’re having asap!

43. Negotiate unrecognized charges

This is where you need to pay attention. Because utility companies LOVE to nickel and dime us to death with miscellaneous fees and charges. So you have got to check your bills every single month to make sure you’re not getting charged anything that is unrecognized or out of the ordinary. Sometimes it happens.

Also, make sure that you’re not paying for any ridiculous insurances like “hot water heater insurance” or “outlet insurance.” These are some of the ridiculous things that have been sent to me from my utility companies. They don’t cost much, but they’re unnecessary and can add up if you have 3 or 4 of them on there. And believe me, they make A LOT of money off of these. So don’t waste your hard-earned dollars.

44. Replace your windows

Replacing your windows can cost quite a bit of money…as in a couple thousand dollars. But if you have older windows, you need to look into this because those windows could be costing you a little bit of money every year in energy costs due to inefficiency. Older windows can be very leaky which ends up translating into higher energy costs. On top of that, new windows can give your home a small value boost and make your humble abode look even better!

45. Caulk your windows

Locating window gaps and correcting the current issues you’re having is a great way to continue saving money on energy and keeping your home at the perfect temperature. First, inspect and locate any gaps, cracks, or holes that need repairing or sealing. Then do whatever you can to repair and seal the issue spots.

I recommend hiring a professional window company to inspect and do this work for you. Because even though it might cost you a couple hundred dollars, they’re going to do the work right and it will most likely last a lot longer than DIY repairs. Those windows will also help you save a few dollars in energy over time as well.

This post here on rockethomes.com will show you how to make your windows more energy efficient!

46. Install weatherstripping

Weatherstripping can be a good idea when working toward a more energy-efficient home. Drafty doors, windows, and other openings can really cost you over time. Weatherstripping is fairly inexpensive and not too hard to install.

Check out this howstuffworks.com guide here on how to install weatherstripping in your home.

47. Door sweep

A door sweep is another simple way to continue making your house more energy-efficient. It has the similar effect of sealing window gaps and weatherstripping other parts of your home. The toughest part of the install is actually taking the door off the frame to install the sweep.

48. Seal up ducts

Ducts are notorious for allowing air to escape which end up making your heat and A/C work harder in your home. A lot of heat and cold air are lost in unsealed ducts so use some caulk to seal those leaky ducts up!

49. Seal up chimney/close your fireplace

The chimney of your fireplace can be extremely inefficient. It can allow a lot of air in and out so you need to do something to seal up your chimney to stop all of that lost heat and/or A/C. Two great ways to temporarily seal this up include airtight glass doors or a temporary balloon blown up into the chimney. However, if you never use your fireplace, get up with a fireplace professional to close it up or add something to open and close it as needed.

50. Seal up attic leaks

Finding and sealing attic leaks can be a great way to help save energy and reduce heat and A/C loss. Fill those small holes with foam and caulk so that you can save some money in the long run.

51. Insulate your attic

So we already talked about how important it is to seal up leaks in the attic. But if you don’t have enough insulation, you could be wasting even more energy. So both sealing and insulating your attic can be extremely important to get done! We recommend hiring a pro, but you can actually do this on your own as well.

52. Insulate crawl space ducts

Your crawl space ducts are yet another area that could lead to wasted energy in your home. Don’t forget about optimizing your crawl space ducts!

53. Insulate walls

Now this can get a little bit expensive if you’ve already had your house built and the walls are already done. Wall insulation isn’t expensive unless you try to go back and add more or replace the current insulation. Insulating walls can be expensive but worth it in the long run.

54. Insulate your garage door

One great way to get more out of your garage and help make your home more energy-efficient is to insulate your garage door. For just a couple hundred bucks, you can fully insulate your garage door in a couple of hours and start reaping the benefits: cooler garage in the summer, warmer garage in the winter, and better energy efficiency along the insulated walls and ceiling. Simple and easy.

55. Replace your siding

This can also get expensive but siding isn’t hard to replace. Put 3/4 inch foam insulation behind your home’s siding to continue adding into your home’s energy efficiency!

56. Utility smart meter

A smart meter is very similar to your standard home power meter. Except for the fact that it connects your meter remotely to your power company and sends your power information to them directly. This, without the need for a “meter reader,” or a physical person that reads your power meter.

A lot of homes these days are using smart meters. I mean, everything is getting connected. So one day, everyone will have a smart meter. But if your home doesn’t have a smart meter, contact your power company and ask if they have one that they can install. Or ask when they will have them.

These smart meters can help you optimize your power usage so this can be a great way to start saving money on electricity and power. For more on smart meters, check out this post here on borderstates.com.

57. replace your A/C unit

Now I understand that this one might get a little bit expensive. But if you’re having serious issues with your electricity bill being overly expensive during the summer months, your A/C unit might be to blame. That’s what our A/C pro told us at our first A/C maintenance appointment in our new house.

He stated that he used to have the same unit and that the unit was a bit small for the house. So it could be working harder just to cool the whole house. He told us that if it ever needed replacement, try to find something a bit bigger.

With that being said, if you can afford a new unit, get one. But do it with cash! Check out moneysavingmom.com’s inspiring post here on how they paid for their new A/C unit with cash!!

Conclusion

So you can see that there are A LOT of really great ways to save money on your utilities. Some of them are extremely easy while others might require a little bit of work (or a pro to do that work). But the great thing is that you have so many options that you can try. And it doesn’t take a lot. Just a few things can really help you save a lot of money in the long run. So don’t wait! Start doing some of the stuff from this list so that you can use those hard-earned dollars to help bulletproof your finances!