Ways to Save Money on Your Utility Bill

This weekend, Yahoo had an interesting article, that I thought would be of interest to all of you. "10 Ways to Save Money on Your Utility Bill" by Claes Bell, is an article that looks at some simple ways homeowners could save on their utility bills. While most of the ideas presented seem unavailable to renters, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at each of them. Along with my own analysis of the idea.

1. Paint Your Roof White
This idea is obviously for homeowners. I mean renters can't go out and paint their roof. Perhaps that is why it is good thing that I have people who live above me (despite their sometimes noisy foot steeps). They get get more of the higher cooling bills, while they keep my energy bill down. According to the article,

A 1999 study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Heat Island Group found that in sunny climates, buildings with white roofs required up to 40 percent less energy for cooling than those with black roofs. At current utility rates, that means you could save $120 or more per year in cooling costs. - Yahoo Finance

2. Install an Irrigation Meter
OK, until I read the article, this was something I had never heard of. Basically the device was designed to try to eliminate the double charging on your water bill. What do I mean? OK, you are charged for the water as it is pumped into your house, and then again charged as it goes out into the sewer. Problem is they don't actually have a meter on the sewer. They assume, that everything you pump into your house, then goes down the drain. Well according to the article in Yahoo Finance, this device measures the water that doesn't go down the drain. Water such as that used for sprinklers, pools, and other outdoor uses.

To save money by making sure you're only paying for the sewer capacity you're using, many utilities offer the option to get a separate meter to measure water usage for irrigation, swimming pools and other outdoor uses, says Liskey. Once installed, the meter will be read every month by your utility company and its reading subtracted from your sewage bill. The meter will cost you several hundred dollars upfront. But since you'll no longer be charged for sewage capacity you're not using, it should pay for itself within a few years, especially if you use a significant amount of water in the yard. - Yahoo Finance

3. Do a Nightly Energy Sweep

We all have left fans, lights or appliances on at night while we sleep, but doing so wastes increasingly expensive energy. To save money, do a nightly sweep through the house to make sure all your electric devices are turned off before you go to bed. It may be a pain, but the savings from simply turning everything off can add up quickly. It takes about $9 per year to run just one compact fluorescent lightbulb through the night, $21 for a conventional bulb and $35 for a big ceiling fan on high, according to the energy calculators at MichaelBluejay.com. - Yahoo Finance

My question though, is in regard to ceiling fans. Wouldn't leaving those own reduce the need to run the air-conditioner? Thus saving you money over all?
4. Set Your Water Heater at 120 Degrees
This one is simple enough, and even if you are a renter and have access to your own water heater, you can do. It's simple enough, so everyone of us renters and homeowners alike, should be dialing our water heater thermostats down to 120. Makes me wish I had access to mine, so I could see what it was set for.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a heater set at 140 degrees or higher can waste $36 to $61 annually in standby heat losses to keep water at that temperature, and more than $400 to bring fresh water up to that high temperature. To save even more money, you can turn your electric heater off or turn your gas heater down when you go on vacation to save even more. - Yahoo Finance

5. Use Reusable AC and Furnace Filters

Using a permanent filter, you'll save money in the long run, cut your utility bill and prolong the life of your HVAC unit. If the disposable AC filters that must be changed every three months are around $4 each, you can recoup the $20 to $40 cost of a permanent filter in as little as 15 months. - Yahoo Finance

I am not sure where they got their numbers, because disposable furnace filters back in Kansas have been between 99 cents and two (2) dollars for as long as I can remember. Perhaps they are up to $4 in some parts of the country, which I think is crazy. So yes, I would certainly consider getting a reusable filter, that can just be washed out in the bathtub.
6. Upgrade Your Appliances

Many state and local governments and utility companies offer financial incentives for homeowners to upgrade their appliances to newer, more energy-efficient models. These incentives usually take the form of rebate checks for homeowners who can provide proof of purchase. - Yahoo Finance

7. Don't Let Cash Slip Through the Cracks
This is where the recommendation of sealing up your house comes into play. Be sure to caulk around your windows and door frames. Don't forget to fill those holes around the pipes entering your home.
8. Do Your Meter and Utility Bill Match Up?

Utility workers make mistakes just like the rest of us, and when they make mistakes reading your meter, it can be costly. While you'll probably notice a big error on your utility bill, you may not catch more subtle errors. - Yahoo Finance

You should read your meter each month. Find out when your meter is read, and read it the same day (or next day) as the utility company. Keeping a journal of all your readings. If you can't get a schedule of your meter is scheduled to be read, read it the day your bill comes. If the meter has a smaller reading then what is on the bill, you know there is an error.
9. Buy Energy-Star Certified Products
No matter if you are a renter or a homeowner, you can do this to a certain extent. While you may not be able to go the refrigerator route or other appliances, you can buy Energy-Star light bulbs, TVs, computers and small appliances (toaster, microwave, blenders, etc) that you do use and that aren't provided by the landlord.
10. Buy a Programmable Thermostat
The articles last suggestion was a programmable thermostat. I have long been an advocate of a programmable thermostat. The good news is, that while prices have come down on these great devices, there MAY be a better deal out there. Some utility companies have begun offering free programmable thermostats. What is the catch? In return for your free thermostat, you allow your energy company to coordinate the “cycling” of your air conditioner on summer afternoons with others when the demand for electricity is highest.

Cycling off occurs only a few days each summer between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. when the demand for electricity is highest. For some customers, cycling may not be noticeable. A radio-controlled switch on the thermostat cycles off your air conditioner compressor when we send it a signal. Coordinating the cycling of air conditioners helps keep the demand for electricity level which then helps delay the need to build expensive power plants. - Austin Energy

When I was in Topeka, I wanted to participate in this deal through Westar Energy, but since I didn't have central air, I couldn't. I was so glad when I arrived in Austin, and seen the Austin Energy logo on my thermostat. That told me that, not only did I have a programmable thermostat, but I also one that was provided by the local electric company.

So there are the Ten ways the article suggested. Can you think of other ways that people can save energy? Surely, there is more then just 10. What are your suggestions, to add to this list?

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