Tips to make your electricity bill go down

With winter approaching, here are a few tips to apply on a daily basis to lower your energy consumption and save a good deal of money.

Control temperature in your home

• Reduce the temperature in rooms that are unoccupied. You can easily lower it to 15 or 16 °C.
• Lower the temperature by 3 to 4 °C when you're away during the day and when you're sleeping at night.
• Install electronic thermostats. They are more accurate and will make your electricity bill go down.
• During the day, leave curtains open to let the heat of the sun come in. By night, close them to keep the heat inside.

Good insulation is essential

• Check if your doors and windows let the heat out. Don't hesitate to caulk them if it's the case.
• Don't hesitate to apply a plastic film over windows to prevent cold air from coming in.
• Check your dryer's duct and the chimney's air vent (if you don't use it). You must keep an eye on those entry points.

Other tips to apply to save money

• Make sure there is no furniture blocking your electric heaters or radiators.
• Got old appliances? When you buy new ones, choose some that are low consumption.
• Use low-flow showerheads.
• Clean up accumulated dust in heating devices.
• Wash your clothes in cold water.
• Aerate the rooms of your home, and this, even in winter. Make sure to reduce the temperature first.
• Whenever possible, choose hang drying to avoid using the dryer.
• Unplug electronic devices when they're not in use. In fact, most of the energy consumption occurs when they're turned off.