One of the most substantial month-to-month expenses of running a household is your power bill. Costs rack up every minute a light is on or you're charging your phone. Thankfully, there are a lot of areas where you or an electrical contractor can trim electrical usage and lower your expenses. Here are a few suggestions.

3 Recommendations for Using Less Electricity

1. Turn It Off

Assess where your electricity is currently in use. Do you have lights on in rooms with no one in them or with closed curtains? Are devices plugged in that don't need to be—a toaster, for example—drawing a trickle of power even when they're turned off? Turn off and unplug devices and appliances to reduce the power you're using, and open curtains in rooms to let in natural light when needed.

2. Add Solar

Talk with your electrical contractor about investing in solar panels. They provide power to a home free of cost and may meet a significant portion of your electrical needs. Solar appliances, a solar water heater, for example, will also save electricity.

3. Adjust Heating & Cooling Needs

As the weather gets colder, you'll be using your furnace or heat pump more. If either is electrically operated, it will increase your utility bills. Most electrical contractors and HVAC technicians recommend keeping your thermostat 10 degrees cooler in the winter—about 65 degrees—than in the summer—about 75 degrees—to reduce the amount of work your furnace has to do. Also, well-insulated homes with homeowners who don’t leave doors and windows open will trap heat and save energy.

If you need an electrical contractor to help you streamline your home's power use, choose Bonham Electric, Inc. in Dayton, OH. Since 1959, they've served the Greater Dayton area, providing 24-hour service as needed for emergencies. They're well established in the region and are accredited by the Better Business Bureau®. To schedule service, call them at (937) 233-7662, or check out their range of solar products, generators, and green solutions online.