Using electricity smartly can help you reduce your utility bills effectively. Not just that, smart use of energy is also a great to keep the planet clean and green. Households are now laden with appliances to make life easier; saving on electricity does not mean not using these appliances at all but using them smartly to save energy.

Here are some ways you can use your electronic items and save up to 40 percent on your utility bills.

Smart switches

Getting smart switches that have motion sensors are a great way to ensure that you don’t leave the lights on when not needed. Smart switches have motion sensors that detect movements and turn the lights on and off automatically. Getting smart switches that need to be turned on manually are a preferred choice of many as it helps avoid the chances of the lights coming on with the slightest of movements during sleep time.

Energy efficient appliances

Buying appliances and refrigerators that have an energy star rating is yet another way to save money on your utility bills. Appliances with energy star ratings help cut the bills by 20 to 30 percent. If you are planning on getting any new appliances and refrigerators, then make sure you look for models with an energy star rating. And if you have old appliances without an energy star rating, scrap the models instead of reselling to contribute towards keeping the environment cleaner in your way.

Regular maintenance of air conditioners

Air conditioners can perform well regarding energy efficiency if they are in the best condition. Service your air conditioning units to keep them performing well at all times and reduce your utility bills. You may even make sure that the maintenance affects your air conditioning system well by ensuring that their units are not placed in spots where there may be direct sunlight. Direct sunlight hampers the efficient performance of an air conditioner.

Regularly cleaned dryers

Your dryers cannot perform efficiently if there is any lint that may be stuck in its ducts. This results in the dryer using more energy and hence, increasing your utility bills. Try to clean the ducts as often as you can to ensure that these are lint free. There are brushes available that help you achieve this easily. Your choice of the kind of dryer will also affect your utility bills. A gas dryer is more energy efficient as compared to an electric one.

Smart meters

Getting smart meters help you reduce your electricity bills as these meters lets you track the amount of power the household is using. These meters also help in avoiding blackouts and overloaded grids. Smart meters allow its users to shut off the appliances in the home for fixed intervals as per the family’s convenience.

Refrigerator maintenance

Kitchen appliances and refrigerators contribute to a good chunk of the electricity bill. Maintaining your refrigerator and always keeping it in the best condition helps in avoiding consumption of unnecessary power that may be required to make it run efficiently. One of the ways to maintain your refrigerator to keep your utility bills low is by cleaning the coils once or twice a year. Clean coils help you to improve the refrigerator’s efficiency by as much as 50 percent. Other than that, ensuring that your refrigerator has a well-functioning door seal is also important to increase the energy efficiency of your refrigerator.

Use these tips to save hundreds of dollars on your utility bills, and you can also contribute towards keeping the planet safer and cleaner.