Slash Your Electric Bills
By: NBC News
Updated: September 1, 2011
With this summer's extreme heat, many are dealing with some outrageous electric bills.
Fortunately a few proactive steps can knock the cost of that bill down 10 to 20 percent.
After seeing the first bill at her new home, Kristina Hodges said she was willing to try anything to get that number down.
"Well it was a shock, it really was. We just moved in here and it's a little bigger than our old house so we were not ready for that huge bill," Hodges said.
So she invited Kevin Wallace with Sykes Construction out to get some help.
"As far as the design of the home, the insulation and the appliances, all the major places you can save money, she's done a great job and the home's in good shape," Wallace said.
He said the family could make some behavioral changes to easily lower their bill.
"Drop the shades on your windows, particularly your southern and western facing windows," he said.
Wallace also instructed Hodges to keep her thermostat around 80-degrees during the day and 84 at night.
He also said by increasing it just one degree, the family could save $20 a month.
Wallace also debunked a common home cooling myth.
"Ceiling fans don't work with your air conditioner as much as they do to blow air across our bodies," he said.
So turn off ceiling fans and lights once you leave a room.
Also, check the light bulbs in your home. Incandescent bulbs burn six times more energy than fluorescent lights.
Making that switch alone can save hundreds of dollars a year.
Fortunately a few proactive steps can knock the cost of that bill down 10 to 20 percent.
After seeing the first bill at her new home, Kristina Hodges said she was willing to try anything to get that number down.
"Well it was a shock, it really was. We just moved in here and it's a little bigger than our old house so we were not ready for that huge bill," Hodges said.
So she invited Kevin Wallace with Sykes Construction out to get some help.
"As far as the design of the home, the insulation and the appliances, all the major places you can save money, she's done a great job and the home's in good shape," Wallace said.
He said the family could make some behavioral changes to easily lower their bill.
"Drop the shades on your windows, particularly your southern and western facing windows," he said.
Wallace also instructed Hodges to keep her thermostat around 80-degrees during the day and 84 at night.
He also said by increasing it just one degree, the family could save $20 a month.
Wallace also debunked a common home cooling myth.
"Ceiling fans don't work with your air conditioner as much as they do to blow air across our bodies," he said.
So turn off ceiling fans and lights once you leave a room.
Also, check the light bulbs in your home. Incandescent bulbs burn six times more energy than fluorescent lights.
Making that switch alone can save hundreds of dollars a year.
