Tricks to trim your utility bill

$ rapiG rise in the cost oI OiYing ZiOO XnGoXEteGO\ proYe to Ee one oI the maMor stories oI $ccorGing to the 8 6 %XreaX oI /aEor 6tatistics energ\ prices rose E\ percent in the

month perioG that enGeG in -Xne marking the highest month increase since $priO

The significant spike in energ\ costs is someZhat misOeaGing as the %/6 consiGers motor IXeO prices Zhich rose more than percent in the month perioG enGing in -Xne part oI the energ\ categor\ +oZeYer GXring that same perioG eOectricit\ prices rose E\ nearO\ percent ZhiOe natXraO gas prices increaseG E\ percent %oth oI those increases Zere more significant than the more pXEOici]eG rise in IooG prices Zhich rose E\ right aroXnG

percent

)amiOies neeG to eat anG man\ proIessionaOs noZ mXst retXrn to in person Zork aIter \ears oI panGemic reOateG remote Zorking Zhich means the\ mXst conIront higher IXeO costs That OeaYes OittOe room to saYe mone\ in those areas +oZeYer there are Za\s Ior IamiOies to reGXce home energ\ costs ZithoXt aGYerseO\ aIIecting their TXaOit\ oI OiIe

‡ 5Xn appOiances GXring oII peak hoXrs $ccorGing to the 8niteG 6tates 'epartment oI (nerg\ anG the 8 6 (nYironmentaO 3rotection $genc\ the Eest time to Xse appOiances in a home is Zhen oYeraOO eOectricit\ Xse is OoZ ThoXgh this time changes GepenGing on the season anG can Yar\ EaseG on geograph\ the '2( anG the (3$ Eoth note that aIter p m anG EeIore

a m are generaOO\ the oII peak hoXrs in most areas

‡ 6trategicaOO\ Xse \oXr shaGes anG EOinGs The energ\ proYiGers at &on(G estimate that aEoXt percent oI XnZanteG heat comes throXgh ZinGoZs 6trategic Xse oI cXrtains shaGes anG EOinGs can keep heat oXt on hot Ga\s thXs aOOoZing homeoZners to tXrn the thermostat Xp on their air conGitioning Xnits in sXmmer 2pening cXrtains EOinGs anG shaGes on Zinter mornings anG aIternoons ZiOO aOOoZ more sXnOight in aOOoZing homeoZners to controO heating costs more eIIectiYeO\

‡ 5eorgani]e \oXr reIrigerator There are pOent\ oI contraGictor\ strategies regarGing hoZ Eest to store IooGs in a reIrigerator so the Xnit consXmes as OittOe energ\ as possiEOe ZhiOe stiOO keeping IooGs Iresh anG chiOOeG %Xt YarioXs energ\ proYiGers incOXGing &on(G recommenG that consXmers aYoiG packing a IriGge too tightO\ %\ aOOoZing coOG air to circXOate Zithin the reIrigerator the reIrigerator Zon¶t neeG to Zork as harG anG thXs consXme as mXch energ\ to keep IooGs cooO ,t¶s important to note that the opposite shoXOG goYern hoZ the Iree]er is packeG 3acking Iro]en items tightO\ in the Iree]er ZiOO heOp the reIrigerator Zork a OittOe Oess harG

‡ TXrn oII the Oights (stimates Irom the 8 6 (nerg\ ,nIormation $Gministration inGicate that eOectricit\ Ior Oighting accoXnts Ior aroXnG percent oI eOectricit\ consXmption in homes $ concerteG eIIort to tXrn oII Oights in rooms that aren¶t Eeing XseG can heOp consXmers saYe mone\

5ising XtiOit\ EiOOs are compeOOing miOOions oI peopOe to seek Za\s to trim their energ\ consXmption ThankIXOO\ there are man\ Za\s to Go that ZithoXt Xpsetting GaiO\ roXtines