6 Tips To Cut Down On Power Bills This Summer

Air conditioning at home has matured from being a luxury to a necessity. The number of hours that people spend in air conditioning at home has gone up exponentially over the years. The number of air conditioned rooms in urban homes have also gone up. All this adds to electricity bills that might require credit card rollover to pay off.

While there is no debating the necessity of air conditioning and ceiling fans, there are ways to reduce the amount of unwanted electricity use.

Here are six ways you can cut down on those mounting power bills:

1. Change your AC filters

Clean your AC filters at your property in India least once a month. Taking this measure will improve the performance of the AC and will reduce the amount of time that you need it keep it on. Cleaning it regularly will improve the efficiency of the AC by at least 10%. Combine the AC with ceiling fan and try to cut down time that an AC is switched on. That will help you save a lot on bills. Fill the cracks of the doors and windows in order to maintain the temperature of your home better. Try and keep your cooling needs low by wearing clothes that help you remain cool for a long time without requiring you to switch on the AC.

2. Use energy efficient appliances

It might sound like an extra Rs. 2,000 while buying washing machine or any other electrical appliances, but energy saving appliances will help you save twice as much on electricity usage.  

3. Switch off and cross-check

This might sound like an age-old method, but switching off fans, lights and other appliances when not in use can make a significant contribution to reducing your electricity bills.

4. Use lights that consume less power

Lights too add to the power bills, especially because we tend to keep them on once they are switched on in the evening. They inflate power bills, and radiate heat energy that adds to the temperature of your home in summers. Shift to LED bulbs which are more energy efficient. A few new models also come with options to make them dimmer or change to different shades apart from saving energy.

5. Keep the refrigerator door closed

A lot of energy and power gets wasted as many people do not pay much attention to the amount of power that a fridge consumes. If you leave the fridge door open for long, it restarts the cooling process from scratch using a lot of electricity. Opening the refrigerator door releases gasses that are not environment-friendly, and hence it is advisable to not open the fridge frequently. Do not load the fridge with unwanted fruit and vegetables. Shop frequently and use the fridge for necessities.

6. Reduce washing machine usage

Washing machines are also energy guzzlers. In Summers, try to take advantage of the heat and dry clothes outside instead of using the drier. That can save at least 20-25 minutes of running the gadget.

(Katya Naidu has been working as a business journalist for the last nine years, and has covered beats across banking, pharma, healthcare, telecom, technology, power, infrastructure, shipping and commodities)