Energy Cost: Tips to Stay Afloat with Energy Prices Rising

With Punxsutawney Phil predicting six more weeks of winter and the rising costs of energy, we've put together a new infographic to help consumers save money on their electricity bill.

Infographics: Energy Cost © CreditDonkey

EMBED IN YOUR SITE: <a href="http://www.creditdonkey.com/energy-cost.html"><img src="http://www.creditdonkey.com/image/1/550w/energy-cost.png" alt="Infographics: Energy Cost" width="550" height="2268" border="0" /></a><br />Courtesy of: <a href="http://www.creditdonkey.com/">CreditDonkey</a> This work by http://www.creditdonkey.com/ is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.

According to a CreditDonkey analysis of recent U.S. Department of Commerce data, 6% of annual consumer spending is spent on communication services and utilities, such as cable or satellite television, cell phones, water, electricity, and natural gas.

Paying your utility bill with a rewards credit card can help you save money.

Tips

• When you replace you old worn out appliances, replace them with new Energy Star rated appliances. The EIA says Energy Star refrigerators use one-half the energy as refrigerators made before 1993.
  
• Turn appliances off when not in use. You can also get power strips so you don’t have to unplug multiple appliances to save energy. These are used mostly on computer and computer peripherals and entertainment products, which still draw power even when turned off.
  
• Turn out the lights when you’re not in the room.
  
• Keep the house a little cooler in colder months and a little warmer in warmer months and adjust clothing appropriately. However, if you have a medical condition that makes this impossible, put your safety first.
  
• Close off empty unused rooms.
  
• Close the shades in the summer, and open them in the winter.
  
• Use the stove in winter for extra heat in the house, but use the toaster oven or grill in the summer.
  
• Cook more food at once and use lids to save energy.
  
• Use the dishwasher only when it’s full, and don’t use the drying feature if you can get by without it.
  
• Take shorter showers to save the energy used to heat the water.
  
• Use cold water for other tasks when possible to save the energy needed to heat the water.

Energy Sources

• Did you know there are many personal/household sized off-grid and grid-tied energy sources? There is solar, wind, microhydro, and more. Consult with an alternative energy expert to learn more, and check with your electrical, water, and other utility companies and city to learn if there are any restrictions.
  
• Do you have a chance to use alternative energy? Some are more cost effective than others, with hydro being one of the most cost effective. Remember, green energy often has a higher initial cost than other forms of energy, but can often pay off later.

Consider paying your next utility bill with your credit card to earn rewards. Keep in mind, some utilities charge extra for credit card payments.

Share this on Facebook or Twitter

Follow @CreditDonkey or write to Kelly Teh at kelly@creditdonkey.com