Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Slashing Hidden Costs from Your Electricity Bill

There are many hidden costs in your electricity bill that you may not even realize. By paying special attention to these areas in the home, you may be able to reduce your bill significantly over the course of the summer – and certainly over the course of the year. Energy companies like IDT Energy want to help you to save, and here are a few suggestions to do so.

Your refrigerator may actually be causing you extra costs. Make sure that everyone in the family knows to open the refrigerator doors only briefly and not to leave them open unnecessarily. Follow the manufacturer’s directions about the “cold” control and vacuum your refrigerator coils periodically to remove dust.

If your refrigerator isn’t frost-free, make sure to defrost it periodically. Also, plugging your refrigerator into an electronic induction motor control like the Power Planner, which is available in most home improvement centers, can help to reduce the amount of power the refrigerator’s motor uses.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Summer Savings Suggestions with IDT Energy

With the summer upon us, it’s time to start thinking about saving money on your electricity bill. If you live in a state, like NY, NJ or Pennsylvania, where electricity has been deregulated, then you should look into changing your energy supplier. You may find that some companies, like IDT Energy, offer surprisingly low rates.

There are many other quick and easy ways to lower your costs this summer, in ways that you probably won’t even feel in your day to day life. Have your air system run on fan instead of on air conditioner. Flip your thermostat to “Fan Only” to recycle air through the house. Make sure that you replace and clean your heating and cooling system’s air filters to improve their efficiency.

Small changes of this sort can make a large difference in your overall electricity bill over the course of time.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Saving Electricity in the Kitchen: IDT Energy

Most of us spend a great deal of time in the kitchen. A good portion of our electrical expenditure is done in this part of the home, and it’s important to learn key ways to save on your electrical bill in this area. Whether you use IDT Energy or another distributor, knowing how to save energy in the kitchen can make a big difference in your bill.

When you are cooking, turn on your range hood so that waste heat will go out of the home. Consider what you cook during the summer months and cut down on the amount that you use electrical appliances. Serve cold salads, deli slices and other items that don’t need to be cooked in a hot oven or stove top.

Make sure your oven door is tightly closed when in use and use the oven light to check on the progress of your items rather than opening and closing the oven door. Be sure to use a timer or a meat thermometer when cooking to save energy. Overcooked meals don’t taste particularly good, and uses extra electricity unnecessarily.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Five Quick Energy Saving Tips: IDT Energy

We all want to save money on our energy bills. Whether you’re using IDT Energy or another company, you’ll want to stay on top of your energy use and minimize your superfluous expenditures as much as possible. Here are five quick ways to stay on track with your energy spending.

1. When you wash dishes and clothes, try to do so with a full load. One full load certainly uses less energy than do two half loads.

2. To save water, make sure to only boil the amount of water that you actually need.

3. Pay attention to your water taps. Fix leaky taps and make sure that your taps are always fully turned off. A tap that is continually dripping even a small amount makes enough hot water to fill half a bath in a week!

4. Pay attention to the light bulbs that you purchase and look for the ENERGY STAR label. Energy efficient light bulbs can save you a great deal of money over the life of the bulb, and they last up to 10 times longer than do ordinary bulbs.

5. Have a home energy check done on your house. Many companies conduct these checks and they will offer you other suggestions for saving on your electricity and gas bills and will provide quick tips for saving in the home.