What are the best ways to reduce your electricity bill?

Lately, I'm concerned because our eletricity bill has gone up by $110 in the last three months. We have been opening the same number of lights at night. We are hardly at home during the day on weekdays so our air conditioner is usually off nearly the whole day, the appliances, computer, consoles, and TV are hardly used. What would be the (other) best ways to reduce the electricity bill other than unplugging certain appliances? I don't want to spend extra on electricity when I've haven't had bought anything new that consumes a lot of electricity.
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With our present income, and the cost of electricity where I live, it's already high for us.

Those little red or green lights that show an appliance is receiving electricity even when they are off are costing you money. We turn everything possible off and pull it from the wall and turn off at the powerpoint now and it has saved us A LOT. I cannot tell you exactly how much because our last bill was a winter bill and this was a warmer weather bill but the electricity graph showed that our use definitely went down by a lot and the charge for the power went up. WIth that, our bill was nearly $200 less for the quarter.

Another change to this was also that we made sure the hot water heater was on the lowest off-peak rate we could get. Get solar hot water if you can afford it. It is so much better in the long run. Shower in daylight if you can so you are using the water at a time of day where it won't be as costly to use and where you may not need artificial light. If you use a gym, a pool or somewhere else they have shower facilities, consider using theirs. When I have hydrotherapy, or Aqua Aerobics when I was able to participate, I scheduled hair washing with when I had appointments so I am in the shower less time at home.

Turn off your PC or at least your monitor and printer when not using it - it uses a lot even when in idle mode.

Change to energy saving light globes even if it is one at a time. The cost will be more than worth it. Use fluorescent where possible and use the lowest wattage that you need. These also appear brighter.

Use candles to give a pleasant light where possible. Home made soy candles or bees wax are lovely and save using chemical air fresheners as well.

Use blankets to warm yourselves and fans to cool yourselves. Ceiling fans are best. If you need to use the air conditioner, use it at recommended settings provided by your energy retailer. We are supposed to have cooling set at 24 degrees Celsius in summer. Once the room has reached a comfortable level, turn it off. Use rubber backed or block out curtains where possible to keep temperatures more comfortable. Insulation is always a good choice as well where possible.

If you have lights that have two globes - consider only putting in one.

When not using appliances, turn off at the power. This is all items - kettle, washing machine etc.

Use a crock pot to cook your roasts, casseroles and desserts in as well as soups, and so many other dishes. Not only will they be delicious and entice your family to eat rather than take out, they are cost effective in power consumption and you can use cheaper cuts of meat.

Avoid using the oven unless it is used to capacity. Most times it can be turned off before the cooking is complete and will continue to cook in the heat - same goes for hot plates. When using hot plates, make sure to use the correct size pan for the element so it does not let heat escape.

Keep fridge and freezer doors open for the minimum amount of time required.

Barbecues are a fun and relaxed way of eating and you can often do this at a park for no cost.

When using the washing machine - put on a full load or save it til next time if possible - saves water as well.

This also applies to a dishwasher. If you just have a few things, consider washing by hand.

Don't use a clothes dryer unnecessarily. If you hang on a line to dry outdoors, you will save power and your clothes will absorb the goodness of the sun and smell fresher for it. If you hang your items straight out from a finished load and fold them as you bring them in and put straight away, you will also get less ironing. An iron is one of the most expensive appliances to run. Wash and wear clothes also help reduce ironing.

Only turn on outdoor lights as needed and remember to turn them off as soon as people arrive or leave. There is no need to have them on while they are there and for ages before they arrive if you know when to expect them.

When cooking or baking, do extra and freeze so that you can just reheat.

I hope some of this helps.

your electricity bill sounds pretty average. if you want to reduce it, maybe don't use any electricity at all.

Why has it gone up that much? If the rate has gone up, look for a different electricity provider. If nothing has changed, check your meter and make sure noone is stealing electricity from you.

cut the heat off and snuggle up with your babies

It sounds like you have already started making some changes. Try switching to the energy efficient light bulbs. They are more expensive initially, but last much longer and are much more efficient than regular light bulbs. Adjusting your thermostat can help. I know you said that the air conditioner was rarely on, but can the temperature it is set on when it is on be raised any? You can lower the temperature on your water heater. This doesn't mean that you will be taking cold showers, it just means that the hottest your water gets won't be quite so hot. This can also help prevent burns in young children. Washing laundry on cold instead of warm or cold can help. Also, line drying your clothes is extra effort, but it means you can save money on drying your clothes. You may want to look into more energy efficient appliances. Is your air conditioner efficient? This can make a big difference. Best of luck

stop using computer to ask now you are spending money man

Don't put things on stand-by, turn them off properly. Get low energy light bulbs, and dispose your incandescent bulbs. If you have electric storage heaters, make sure you have a cheap night time tariff, and only charge them at night. If it isn't that cold, turn them off. If it is in an unused or underused room, turn it off. If you have an electric immersion heater, again use it mostly on the cheaper night tariff, where available, and use it every night. It takes less energy to keep it hot than it does to heat it up from cold. When using electric kettles, heat only as much water as you need. If you have an electric cooker, put lids on pans, they heat up faster using less energy.

Possibly electricity theft

Do you have those dreadful electric space heaters? If so...change the way you heat your home because those are BIG energy suckers.
Thoroughly insulate your home--especially under doors,make sure you've got double pained windows and that those are closed when the air conditioner is on.. windows etc...hopefully you do not have cathedral ceilings combined with electric space heaters...aka: worst case scenario...

You can call in the power company to assess your home's heating system...and give you tips on how to best save electricity.
Air conditioners can also use lots of electricity so I suggest that rooms which are not in use have the doors closed to maintain temperature in home...dry clothes on the line...turn off pc at night or when not in use...keep windows closed.

Ours is about tha same: rangin from $90 to $130.. U could use those energy saving light bulbs, they really work bc we noticed about a $30 difference when we replaced all of our lights wit them.. Also I dont wash clothes or dishes until I have an absolutly full load.. Dishwasher, Dryer, and Washer take up tha most electricity in ur home.. Hope this helps ;) Maybe one day they'll create an electrical source that wont cost us anything..

Honestly. To freeze all winter and roast all summer.

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