Friday, October 26, 2012

Saving Money on Your Utilities


One of the biggest differences between living on campus and moving off is that (in most cases) utilities are not included in the rent. This can prove very expensive if you’re not careful, and you will quickly realize it pays to be conscious of where your money is going. Utilities can be broken up into electricity/gas, cable/internet, and water. In certain places some utilities are bundled together, and some may even charge for other things, it simply depends on your landlord. Here are some tips in each of those categories to help save money when you move off campus:

Electricity/Gas- these days if you live in a newer house it will usually run on simply electricity. Obviously turning off the lights is the most basic form of saving money on electricity, however there are some devices that still use a good amount of electricity even if they are not “On.” A general rule of thumb is that if you do not frequently use an appliance or objects unplug it. Another major way to save money in this category is if your heat is electric you should keep it at a temperature that is neutral, not turn it off and blast it when you get cold. When your heater uses high power it uses an excess amount of energy that is wasteful.

Cable/Internet- it is all about bundling. Never pay separate for cable and Internet because it simply doesn’t make sense. There are few options of providers in this area, but they still compete and depending on the time you sign up you might find that because of their offers one is cheaper than the other. Remember that once you get cable in one room you get basic cable in the rest of your house, so paying for extra boxes may not be necessary.

Water- obviously being water conscious starts with not running water when directly using it. Make sure you are in and out of the shower in a reasonable time and when using the laundry machine and dishwasher wait until you have a full load, because you use the same amount of water generally, no matter if it’s full or not.

Use these tips and watch your bills go down!

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