Although you could opt to completely remodel your house in order to make it more efficient and save money on your energy bills, there are also countless ways to save without changing a single thing.
Here are five simple-yet-genius hacks that will help your current appliances run more efficiently — and less expensively.
Draining your hot water heater
One simple, free process to cut down on your utility bills is to drain your hot water heater once a year.
Draining your water heater removes mineral and sediment buildup, making the appliance function more efficiently throughout the year. Hot water heaters can account for around one-fifth of a home's energy usage, and buildup within the system can affect performance and be costly if not addressed.
Unclogging your AC filters
Making sure to check and refresh your air conditioner filter, especially if you live in an apartment, can do wonders for your energy bill.
In one viral video, influencer Kayla Krasnow (@kaylakrasnow) realized that she had never changed the filter on her apartment's AC unit, and when she finally did, she was surprised by a thick layer of black dust coating the filter.
Clogged, dirty filters can make your AC work overtime, resulting in wasted energy and higher utility bills.
Cleaning your dryer
As one video shows, cleaning out your dryer with a vacuum or leaf blower can have a surprisingly big impact on your monthly energy use.
By maintaining your dryer frequently (around once a year, in this case), you save on energy bills as the appliance does not need to work as hard and will likely last longer, delaying a full replacement.
Defrosting food in the fridge
Even something as small as defrosting frozen foods in the refrigerator can help you save some money on your energy bills. In one clip, Duchess of Thrift (@duchessofthrift) showed off a glass bowl with frozen chicken and fries, which she explained she would keep in the fridge to defrost all day.
Placing the frozen foods in the fridge makes the fridge colder, meaning it has to use less energy to maintain its temperature, and then the microwave or conventional oven needs a lot less time and energy to heat the food when it comes time to eat.
Passive cooking
Michelin-trained chef Danilo Cortellini shared a unique pasta cooking hack for people who want to save money. In his video, he showcases passive cooking: in this case, turning off the stove with the bowl of boiling pasta and adding a lid to the pot to trap in heat so the noodles continue cooking.
This hack can work with your stove or oven to cook a variety of foods — as long as anything like raw meat has been cooked to its target temperature for safety purposes.
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