The power supplied from the utility is more costly than the renewable energy from solar or wind. Therefore the first step to take is to get rid of the current utility bills by installing solar cells for your home. When converting to solar power you have to be very cautious in your use of electric power. You can cut your energy requirements and in turn energy expenses by reducing the use of heating devices, increasing energy efficient lighting and appliances. Below are mentioned a few approaches to help you reduce your electricity bills.

Low Energy Consuming Home Interior

The peak load occurs due to the heating devices. With a simultaneous use of heating devices there is danger that the DC battery, supplied along the solar panels, can be depleted of charge very quickly; particularly in overcast and dark conditions. A few techniques to reduce this sort of use of electricity can help you reduce bills in case of utility supply or can attain a longer battery life from solar panels.

Make sure you have effective insulation at your home. This is the most economical way of preserving heat of your home.  The windows and ceiling of your house are the main source of heat loss. The eaves should be insulated in order not to let the bulk heat escape in the form of warm air. The windows should be sheathed with curtains and blinds. The gaps on the outer side of the windows should be filled so that no cold air from outside can enter.

While using proper insulation techniques you can lower the required temperature for your thermostat. It is usually comfortable to lower the thermostat temperature during day time. This can result in significant savings. The use of passive solar techniques can also help in this regard. A greater exposure of the interior of your home to sun rays during winters and least exposure in summers can serve as a double-edge weapon in reducing energy costs throughout the year. Therefore before a house is built it is a valuable aspect to look at from architectural point of view. Remember, large sized windows are very beneficial provided you use curtains and blinds.

Cut Hot Water Expenses

Hot water is a requirement both in winters and summers. In summers its use is limited to washing clothes and in winters its requirement increases. The first step in hot water conservation is to insulate the geyser or water heater. Cloaks are easily available for the water heaters in the market. Generally very hot water is not required and most of the times lukewarm water is used. Therefore you can setback the thermostat temperature or use a timer for the heater to operate. Cold pipes are a major cause of heat lost from water – use insulated pipes to prevent this. Reducing the height of bath showers helps a lot in preserving the amount of heat escaping into the atmosphere due to evaporation. Avoid wasting water while shaving or washing.

Reduce Lighting Expenses

Lighting is a common load in residential customers. While buying from utility it is the most effective commodity, owing to high cost bore by the utility due to its low load factor. Therefore using solar panels for this load is more beneficial. The costs can be decreased further by using fluorescent light bulbs instead of the conventional incandescent light bulbs. They also have the advantage of longer useful life. In case you are not using solar energy try to reduce the use during peak load hours in the evening. Use light colors in paintings walls and ceilings.

Renovate Your Electrical Devices

The electrical devices you are using may be very obsolete. Older appliances like fridge, washing machines, toasters, blenders and TV are more expensive in terms of electricity usage. Avoid using electronic devices on standby mode. In stand by modes you could be paying for full load and reducing equipment life.  Even if you can’t buy new expensive devices like fridge you can use the older ones intelligently to ensure a low electricity usage. It is useless to set lower thermostat temperature of the refrigerator in cold weather.