Save Money on Your Bill

Many of HUB’s employees are also HUB customers. Here are some helpful tips they use that may reduce your overall monthly bill:

• • Turn down your heating system’s thermostat to 68°F. Turn it down even lower if no one is home for several days.
• • Lower your water heater temperature to 120°F and reduce hot water use by taking shorter showers and using cold water for laundry whenever possible.
• • Turn off lights, televisions and computers when not in use.
• • Remove and recycle your second refrigerator.
• • Keep curtains open on the south side of the house and closed on the north side during the day.
• • Clean refrigerator coils and set the temperature to 36° to 39°F and the freezer to 0° to 5°F.
• • Make sure the fireplace damper is closed when not in use. Don’t send warm air up the chimney.
• • Match the size of your pot or pan to the size of stove burner and cover them with lids when cooking.
• • Once a year, drain about one gallon of water from your water heater to remove sediment.
• • Air dry dishes instead of using the dishwasher’s heat drying option.
• • Caulk and weather-strip around windows and doors to stop air leaks. Seal any gaps in floors and walls around pipes and electrical wiring.
• • Change filters monthly. Install a “filter whistle” to let you know when to change them.
• • Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents.
• • Repair air leaks and seal and insulate heating system ductwork.
• • Add insulation to your attic, crawl space and any accessible exterior walls. Add pipe insulation to first 5 feet of water pipe coming from your water heater. Install light switch and electrical outlet seals on exterior walls.
• • Install an ENERGY STAR® programmable thermostat appropriate for your type of heating system and set it at 68°F for heating.
• • Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when replacing large or small appliances.
• • Wrap your water heater with insulation or install an insulating blanket.
• • Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads & repair leaky faucets.
• • Use power strips for home electronics, and turn off power strips when equipment is not in use. TV’s, DVD players, etc. continue to use power when the switch is off.
• • Understand that space heaters are not more cost-effective than central heating systems when they are used beyond one or two small areas in a home or business. They are best used if you only want to heat one room or supplement inadequate heating in one room. So, it might make sense to turn down the thermostat and use a space heater in just one area. Just be sure to turn it off when you leave the space and to always follow all safety precautions recommended by the manufacturer.