How to Keep Your Energy Bill Low While Working From Home

Since you are spending a lot more time at home, your electric bill is probably through the roof. So here are some easy ways to keep energy costs down while keeping your comfort level up.

We often think of items like light bulbs, televisions and plugged-in chargers as big energy drainers, but they actually contribute very little to your overall consumption. The big players here are items with motors and heating elements: your fridge, freezer, air conditioner and water heater.

Set your refrigerator to 4 degrees Celsius and your freezer to -15 degrees Celsius. As long as both are full, your food will stay fresh and the motor won’t work as hard. While you’re in the kitchen, do scrape off all the food bits from your dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, but don’t prewash your dishes completely beforehand.

You can probably take fewer showers every week (chances are good you’re not as active as you used to be) to save on hot water. Wash your laundry on cold, make sure your dryer’s lint trap is clean and use dryer balls (or tennis balls) to keep drying cycles as short and efficient as possible.

To save on air conditioning costs, make sure your blinds and curtains are closed on hot days. Keep your ceiling fans clean and run them counter-clockwise on hot days to pull cool air up, while minimising use of your cooling units.

For all these tips and more, check out the video below.

Originally published April 2020 and updated March 15, 2021 to reflect current Lifehacker style.