Little-known trick to save $360 on your most expensive household appliance and the time of year is key
ANYONE who wants to reduce their electricity bill can use a little-known trick that is easy to do.
Not many people realize that the time of day affects how much energy their home uses.
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Similar to Uber’s additional fees, utility companies charge more during “peak hours.”
These are hours when more people are at home and electricity demand is higher.
Some electricity consumption is unavoidable, such as: B. Refrigerators that run 24 hours a day. However, avoiding unnecessary energy consumption during these times can help you reduce your electricity bill.
Energy suppliers have to generate more electricity during this time, which causes them additional costs. The additional costs are passed on to the consumer.
However, peak hours change depending on the season and time zone.
For example, in summer, peak hours in the Eastern time zone are between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. However, according to CNET, these times change to 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the winter.
The good news is that weekends are typically considered off-peak times, so people could save money by scheduling energy-intensive tasks like running the dishwasher or washer and dryer for Saturday and Sunday.
Another option is to unplug appliances that are not in use during peak hours, such as microwaves, coffee makers, and chargers.
HOW MUCH YOU CAN SAVE
In New York City, utility conEdison charges 25.50 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) during peak hours from 8 a.m. to midnight from June 1 to September 30, while off-peak rates are just 1.80 cents.
According to Smart Homemaker, the average American spends about $130 to $200 annually on laundry.
Washing machines use around 5 kWh per cycle, while dryers use between 2 and 6 kWh. That’s a total of just under 7 to 11 kWh to complete a load of laundry.
If you wash clothes three times a week for a month, you will use between 84 and 132 kWh of energy.
Using conEdison’s peak rates, this would cost between $21.42 and $33.66. Off-peak it would only be $1.51 to $2.37.
By saving over $30 per month, people could save more than $360 per year.
You may have “vampire devices” at home that cost up to $165 extra on your bill.
Plus, check out the old-fashioned method that helped one person save $300 on his electric bill.