As winter settles in, I find that my little family of two uses much more electricity. In fact, our electricity bill is usually around 50% more in the winter than it is in the spring and fall months (and in the summer months, it’s at an all-time low).

Part of the reason why we experience a huge hike in the amount of electricity we use is because we are home a lot more often in the winter. Instead of going out for a bike ride after work, or outside barbecuing, we are inside making meals in our kitchen and cuddled up under blankets watching movies.

It also gets darker much earlier during the cooler months, so we have the lights on when we are home unless we’re sleeping.

We also have electric heaters upstairs that we use when we are sleeping. This probably uses the most electricity of all, so we do limit our usage of these heaters.

There are a few ways to ensure that you aren’t overspending on electricity.

Turn Off the Lights, TV, and Radio

I can’t believe I even have to remind anyone of this, but I find that even my friends and some family members are always keeping their homes completely lit, all the time. Even the rooms that they aren’t in are lit up like a Christmas tree!

If you aren’t in a room, why are you lighting it? It’s a simple flick of a switch and you’re saving money.

Also, leaving your TV on for the dog is ridiculous and unnecessary. The poor dog doesn’t want to have to hear it all day!

Unplug

I have heard that keeping your toaster, coffee maker, and other small appliances plugged in all the time is a big waste of electricity as the electricity is still released into the appliance even if it’s not being used.

Just by unplugging your small appliances apparently you can save quite a bit of cash.

I do this year round, and we have noticed a small change in our bill, but that may also be because we are using the other methods as well.

Comparison of Providers

If you are in a region that has more than one provider, a good way to save money is to compare electricity suppliers. You never know what type of savings you may find if you just do a little comparison shopping.

(This is also a good tip when it comes to looking at pretty much any bill you have to pay for).

Solar Panels?

This is something that is a newer technology for residential buildings, but solar panels, being that they have been around for a little while by now, are getting cheaper. If you can get the panel on a part of your home that gets a lot of sunlight, you can get free – and environmentally friendly – electricity.

Of course it’s not 100% free as you’ve paid for the panel, but depending on what the prices are on the panels in your area it could be an investment worth looking into.

All of these are worthwhile to explore, as they are not only helpful for the environment but good for your wallet.

How do you save on electricity?