Beware of These 5 Spooky Energy-Users in Your Home

While most costumes only make an appearance on Halloween, the spookiest energy users in your home are disguised year-round. Energy-intensive appliances, products, and leaks can creep up on your electric bill without warning.

Here are five things that might be haunting your bill and how to overcome them.

Frightening Fridges and Freezers

Is there something scary lurking in your basement? Could it be your extra fridge or freezer? While an extra appliance might be helpful to store overflow groceries, it also increases your energy use. On average, a secondary fridge or freezer can add nearly $200 to your electricity costs annually.

Consider if you need that second fridge or freezer, and unplug them if you don’t. If you do, cleaning the coils underneath your fridge can help it run at a consistent temperature and avoid additional electricity consumption. Defrosting your freezer regularly prevents frost build-up that impacts its efficiency. Also, make sure door seals are airtight.

Spooky Space Heaters

Space heaters can slash through your savings in the wintertime. They are one of the most expensive ways to heat your home, costing more than $100 annually on average to run.

If you must use a space heater, choose one that is appropriately sized for the room it is being used in. Keep it away from areas with higher foot traffic, and limit how long you operate it. Models with thermostat and timer settings can also prevent overheating and reduce costs.

Eerie Electric Water Heating

Water heating costs can make you go eek! They are the third highest energy cost for a typical home, meaning it can creep up your energy usage if you aren’t careful.

To save on water heating costs, try washing clothes in cold water. You can also turn down the thermostat on the electric water heater, fix faucet leaks, and use low-flow shower heads to slay these costs.

Ghastly Gaps and Cracks

Feeling a chill run down your back? Getting goosebumps when walking through your home? You may think it’s a ghost, but a drafty room is the more likely culprit.

Sealing gaps and cracks can save you anywhere between 5-30% in annual energy savings. Adding weatherstripping to your doors and windows is a great way to get into the spirit of savings.

Energy Phantoms

You may have energy vampires in your home without even realizing it. Electronics such as TVs, video game consoles, coffee makers, and microwaves often suck electricity even when they’re turned off. This phantom power can add up, costing you more than you think.

Luckily, you don’t have to be a Ghostbuster to deal with energy phantoms. Simply unplug devices when they’re not in use or consider smart power strips.