What is the best way to lower household electricity bills ?

Loft and wall Insulation

Double Glazing

Low energy light bulbs.

C/H thermostat 17 degrees. Off at night.

Full washing machine, cuts use.

Switching off unnecessary lights.

Not leaving TV or DTR etc on standby every night.

Not ironing clothes that don`t really need it.

Only boiling the E/kettle with enough water for what i need.(1-2 cups of coffee.

Using the Microwave instead of the E/cooker with fan for many foods.

Wash from basin rather than use shower every day. Jmo.

My electricity bills are usually just under £60 a quarter.(standard tariff) I don`t know what others pay!

About the only things we can control are to unplug all those little appliances when not in use-the coffee maker, toaster, computer (shut off the power strip when done,) shut off the cable or satellite box, use just the lights you need at the moment and shut them off as you leave, turn down the heat at night and when you leave, don't leave the TV on when you're not watching-use a radio if you need the noise, keep the freezer stocked full and don't stand with the refrigerator open.

Only dry clothes on the "cool-down" span of the dryer-20 minutes then set a timer to be there to hang them up or invest $40 in a good wooden clothes rack-drape them over and allow them to dry. You can even move it outdoors in nice weather if you don't have a clothesline. Remember that appliances that produce heat are going to use more energy so keep that in mind also when buying light bulbs.

To reduce the bill you must reduce your consumption of electricity. How you do that depends on your lifestyle and which gadgets are the most important to you. Leaving anything switched on which isn't being used is wasting electricity - e.g. lights, t.v. Boiling more water than is needed each time wastes electricity. I boil one mug of water if all I need is one mug of coffee. Boiling a kettle full and leaving it to go cold, only to have to reheat it for the next cup takes far more electricity than boiling each mug full separately.

Carpets do not need to be vacuum cleaned every day. If we live alone with few visitors then once a week would be sufficient. Staying in an electric shower for quarter of an hour, just because it is nice to do so, wastes money when we only need to be in there for as long as it takes to get clean.

I have changed all my light bulbs to the new energy efficiency ones. I don't like them much but soon we'll be unable to buy the older type anyway so must get used to them. If I leave 3 lights on all at once now they use far less electricity than the one old type bulb I used to have in my living room. I sometimes need all 3 to do certain jobs (2 ceiling ones and one lamp close to what I'm working at.

There are many ways we can cut back on our consumption of electricity. It just takes a little thought and our preparedness to carry out what we decide we must do.

Have an insulator company come out and insulate your home, not just in the attic, but they will spray that pink stuff between the boards. This was done on my home, and fuel oil people said I used less than half of what other people did for heating. Not only will your heating and A/C do a far better job, you will save on fuel and electricity summer and winter, both.

Add to that the 3 M plastic sheets for windows, shut off lights, wash dishes by hand, and only use an electric space heater in an emergency.

Use gas or oil for heating and cooking. If your humidity is low enough use an evaporative cooler instead of air conditioning. Concentrate on opening the refrigerator door fewer times, and not leaving it open as long. Get rid of all incandescent lights!! Go for fluorescents and/or LEDs. Shut off the power to all devices that "idle". Computers, DVRs, big screen TVs. Unplug anything that you are not actually using. Cell phone chargers, razor and trimmer chargers etc.

If you can afford the initial cash outlay, get solar panels. Some systems, in some areas, can virtually eliminate payments to the electric utility.

THINK!! Think about what you are doing each and every time you use something that uses electricity. Think how to use it less, how to run it for less time. Every time!

Don't use high watt light bulbs where a lower watt will do.

Turn off lights and unplug appliances that aren't in use. It's a pain in the neck, but it does lower the bill.

Don't run the fan on your furnace 24/7.

Set your clothes dryer to cool down before shutting off. (That will prevent some wrinkles and you won't need to heat the clothes again to remove them.)

Turn off your porch light in the morning.

Don't leave the TV on when no one's watching it.

Use weather stripping around drafty doors and windows.

If you keep a light on in the bath or kitchen at night, switch to small night lights instead of big bulbs. Turn them off in the daytime.

If you use a dishwasher, don't use the dry cycle. Dry the dishes by hand or let them dry overnight.

Phone your electricity company and ask them if they will offer a discount if you stay with . If you are a tea or coffee drinker then when you boil your water only boil enough for your cup or if you boil more then pour into a flask for your next drink. When boiling vegetables only leave them on for a minute or two and turn off the ring they will continue to cook for another 10 minutes in that boiled water. Do your washing when you have a load and not each day leave it for a couple of days . Don't stay under the shower longer than needed. Use electricity saving light bulbs. Turn off plugs instaed of leaving on stand by.

Summer is a struggle.

I set the thermostat at 79-80 F

I use fans

I keep the verticals closed on the west side.

I use fluorescent light bulbs. MY bill went down $30 a month when I went to 100% fluorescent bulbs.

Get Energy Star appliances. Get a gas stove instead of electric. The fridge uses a lot of power but the computer does not. Get an analysis done by your local power company and see how you can reduce your bill. They will come over at no charge and inspect your home.

Don't leave things on standby that don't need it.. maybe your Sky TVs does to record but not all the rest of if. Draught-proof doors and skirtings. Insulate your loft. Set your washing machine to 30C. Put room stats on individual radiators, dial back the hall stat if you have one, cut back the timer settings on your boiler. Dry out damp rooms with a dehumidifier (it also warms it). Turn off unecessary lighting and fit motion sensors to outdoor lights.

You may be able to get one of those electric oil-filled radiators that Lidl sell and just leave that on low to keep the chill off things. Get used to wearing a fleece or a jumper.

Or.......... find a better-paid job so that you can afford to run your heating.

The elderly may qualify for a heating benefit if their name is on the electricty bill.