Save Money by Turning off Lights and Power Points

Do you really need the light on? Electricity is a wonder that most of us take for granted. It's available on demand by a flick of a switch or a push of a button, making it easy to forget that electricity costs money.

Below are simple tips you can do right now to save money by reducing your electricity bill.

Make the best use of ambient lighting in and around your home

This could be provided by an ambient light-source such as a night light, moonlight, streetlight or even light from your neighbours' homes.

I find that the nightlight in the corridor is bright enough that I don't need to switch on the bathroom light to brush my teeth. Let's face it, do you really need to stare at your teeth to brush it cleanly? Not really. Your sense of touch, familiarity with your teeth and brushing routine is enough to get the job done.

If each person in your household does this every night, could you imagine the money you save?

Switch off power points when not in use

Did you know that some electrical appliances still draw electricity even though they are not switched on? Appliances such as televisions, radios, VCRs and DVD players will use electricity when plugged into a power point that is on. Most of these appliances have a time display or a light to indicate it is on standby.

If you're not going to use the appliance very soon particularly if you're going to bed, consider turning it off at the power point.

Switch off computers and monitors when not in use

I don't understand why people leave their computer monitors on even though the computer is switched off. A monitor on standby often has a flashing light to indicate this and as you already know, this uses electricity.

On the other hand, I can understand why computers are sometimes left on. Some people don't close any of their documents so it can be readily resumed the next day. The solution for this is to switch off your computer using the 'Hibernate' mode.

This means that whenever your computer is switched back on, the documents and folders still open at the time of powering down will be resumed for you automatically.

I find this feature very useful because it saves a lot of time when starting up the computer again since it does not go through the full 'start up' process and you don't need to manually reopen your documents.

Use adjustable dim lighting when watching television

I've always been told that you should have another source of light on when watching TV so as to not hurt your eyes. Heeding this advice, some people may switch on the full lighting in the room which is just too much for watching TV.

Why not install a dimmer switch to the light and turn it down, or use a lamp with a dim lightbulb in it? Not only does this save money by reducing the use of electricity, but it also creates great mood lighting for your room!

Use a study lamp when doing work at a desk

Study lamps cast a direct light to your desk so there is sufficient lighting. They also require a much lower lightbulb wattage to provide sufficient lighting to your desk when compared to the room's main lights. A lower wattage means less electrical usage which saves money. Not only that, the main lights may also cast unwanted shadows across your desk making your desk environment less ideal for doing work. So turn on the study lamp, and switch off the room lights when working at your desk.

One of the best ways to save money is to be more conscious about the way we use electricity and how much of it is really needed to perform our daily lives. Simple things you can do everyday such as switching off appliances not in use, or using appropriate lighting for the situation are great ways to reduce your electricity bill to save you money.