4 Energy-Saving Gadgets to Save Money on Electricity Bill

If you are having problems in settling the cost of your electric bills time and time again, the most obvious thing to do is to conserve energy. One of the most common reasons for your electric bill rising significantly is using your appliances recklessly and without thought.

To save energy, you must first deal with how to use your appliances correctly and efficiently. If, however, your devices are ‘energy vampires’; machines that use too much energy even without use, then it’s probably time for you to switch gears and buy gadgets or devices that not only is a useful alternative to your appliances at home but also saves a lot of energy.

Here are some of the energy-saving gadgets or appliances you can use to conserve energy and save a lot of money on your next electric bill.

1. Solar Charger

If you are always charging the batteries of your handheld devices such as your mobile phone, iPods, digital camera, or other portable devices, you will be adding a lot more on your electric bill. The best thing to do about this is to buy a solar charger.

Not only is it efficient in charging your devices, but it also conserves a lot of energy since you don’t need to plug it in an outlet for it to charge. All you need to do is to leave it out in a sunny area and let the sun do the job for you. By the time it is finished, you can quickly charge the batteries of your devices without using electricity in your house.

2. Smart Power Strips

If you have seen commercials about saving energy and the like, you must have heard the term “energy vampires.” These are appliances that use too much power if left plugged in the socket, even if you are not actively using the devices or left on standby mode. Some of the most common energy vampires at home are smartphones, TVs, light bulbs, and laptop chargers.

Sure, you can unplug then from the socket, but it would be too much of a hassle and a big bother, not to mention that it takes too much time, especially if you are in a hurry. But, if you use a smart power strip, the devices will automatically cut off power from appliances that are not in active use or left in standby mode, saving you time, money, and effort.

There is a lot of variety when it comes to smart power strips. Some are color-coded, divided into parts where your appliances should be plugged in specific sockets, and for the others too. Most of them, however, look like the standard sockets that you can install near an appliance and are used as a regular socket. That may be the case, but at least you are saving energy by using them.

On average, a regular household saves at least 25% of their energy cost when using a smart power strip. If you, however, take the chance and switch to smart power strips completely, you can save almost 50% of your total energy cost per month.

3. Energy Star Appliances

If you need to buy a new appliance, such as a washing machine or a microwave, shopping for energy star appliances will save you a lot of money in the long run. While these appliances can sometimes be more expensive than a regular one, you can save money in the long term since they take up less energy while still being efficient.

This is true, especially in washing machines. Washing machine technology has come so far recently and now offers products that cost less $80 a year to operate.

4. Smart Thermostat

Using a regular thermostat in your house can sometimes be a hassle since you have to adjust it manually. Also, if left unchecked, it will cost additional money on your electric bill because of the inefficiency. However, if you are using a smart thermostat, you will be saving both time and money since the intelligent thermostat will do the adjusting for you.

These devices learn from your household habits and will be using energy-efficient adjustments, even if you are not at home. By using a smart thermostat, you will be saving at least 10 to 25% of energy, which will shave off a significant portion of your monthly electric bills.

While this might be a little more expensive than the regular one, it is still a good investment because of the money it will shave off your bills. The average price of a smart thermostat can be $200, at least, but some landlords are willing to credit this cost in your next payment.

Bonus Tip

It’s also a good practice to scout for electricity providers that provide competitive rates. For instance, if you’re residing in Ohio, one of the prudent things you can do is to compare electricity prices in Ohio area and check for the differences in terms of pricing. That way, you can choose the right energy provider that offers a lower rate.

Takeaway

Taking the time, money, and effort to switch to energy saving appliances and devices might be costly, but it will be worth it in the long run. Most of your bills come from the use of electricity, and it will be a great help in budgeting if some of it will be shaved off. Thus, switching to energy saving appliances is an excellent investment for your household.

Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of EcoMENA. He is a consultant, ecopreneur and journalist with expertise across in waste management, renewable energy, environment protection and sustainable development. Salman has successfully accomplished a wide range of projects in the areas of biomass energy, biogas, waste-to-energy, recycling and waste management. He has participated in numerous conferences and workshops as chairman, session chair, keynote speaker and panelist. He is proactively engaged in creating mass awareness on renewable energy, waste management and environmental sustainability across the globe Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org

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