How to Lower Your Electric Bill

6 Min. Lesezeit· Zuletzt aktualisiert: 2026-08-14· Vom Redaktionsteam, geprüft anhand der unten aufgeführten Quellen ·

Schnelle AntwortHeating and cooling are roughly half of a typical home's energy use, so the thermostat is the biggest lever: the Department of Energy estimates up to about 10% a year from a 7-10°F setback for 8 hours a day. After that: water heating, laundry habits, LED bulbs, and phantom loads. If the bill is unpayable, LIHEAP and utility payment plans exist for exactly that.

Warum das wichtig ist

Utilities are one of the few bills you can cut this week without calling anyone or canceling anything — and the savings repeat every single month afterward.

Die Schritte

Work the thermostat hardest

Set a schedule: cooler while asleep and away in winter, warmer in summer. A 7-10°F setback for 8 hours a day saves up to about 10% per the DOE. A $25 programmable thermostat does it without your memory involved.

Turn the water heater down to 120°F

Water heating is a large share of home energy. 120°F is the DOE-suggested setting for most homes — safer, and it stops paying to keep unused water extra hot.

Wash cold, dry smart

Most washer energy heats water; cold cycles clean modern detergents fine. Clean the dryer lint screen every load, and hang-dry what you can.

Swap the five most-used bulbs to LED

LEDs use at least 75% less energy than incandescents and last years longer. Start with the kitchen and living room, not the closet.

Kill phantom loads

TVs, consoles and chargers draw power while off. One switching power strip in the entertainment corner ends it.

If the bill is a hardship, say so

Call the utility and ask for a payment plan and their hardship programs before the due date. Then check LIHEAP — federal help with energy bills through your state — and dial 211 for local funds.

Worked example: $180/month bill

Thermostat schedule (up to ~10% of the bill)up to about $18/month

Cold-wash laundry + full loads$5-$10/month

Five LED swaps$3-$8/month

Power strip on the TV corner$2-$5/month

Realistic total$25-$40/month — $300-$480 a year

Häufige Fehler

Buying gadgets before changing settings. The free thermostat schedule outsaves most purchases.
Cranking the thermostat far past the target to 'heat faster.' It doesn't — it just overshoots.
Ignoring the bill until shutoff. Payment plans and LIHEAP both work best early.
Assuming assistance isn't for you. Eligibility depends on income and household size — checking is free.

Was als Nächstes zu tun ist

Set the thermostat schedule tonight, then check whether you may qualify for LIHEAP or your utility's own assistance — links on our Utilities help page.

Quellen

DOE — Programmable thermostats (savings estimate) · DOE — LED lighting · DOE — Water heating: 120°F · HHS — LIHEAP