Lower your energy bills. That’s the advice we all hear, right?
Everyone from the federal government to the utility companies tells you to “adjust your thermostat” and “upgrade your insulation.” Like just “flipping a switch” (literally or figuratively) is going to magically result in lower energy bills. Honestly, it shows how out of touch they are with what rising prices really mean for the average American family.
That advice isn’t wrong. It’s just not enough. You don’t need theory. You need a roadmap which actually works.
Because when your energy bill jumps by $30, $40, or even $100 in a single month, you need fixes that will make a dent, whether your household includes just you or a whole host of pets and people.
So instead of repeating what the experts say, we’re going to show you what actually worked in our home.
We tested these habits. We tracked our natural gas and electric usage. These small adjustments helped us lower our energy bills. Sometimes our usage dropped noticeably in just 24 hours.
This is the real-life version of lowering your energy bills. No gimmicks. No expensive upgrades. Just small changes that actually work.
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1. Cover Windows with Bubble Wrap or Foam Board
We tried this during a cold snap, and our natural gas usage dropped by more than a therm the very next day.
Here’s how we did it:
- We bought foam core poster board from Dollar Tree for $1.25 per sheet.
It fits nearly perfectly in most standard windows. - Use packing tape or painter’s tape to secure it to the window frame.
- Prioritize windows closest to your thermostat. Keeping that area warm means your furnace cycles less often.
For bubble wrap, it’s just as simple:
- Cut the wrap to fit your window pane.
- Spray a fine mist of water on the glass.
- Press the bubble wrap against the window.
- The surface tension holds it in place – no tape needed.
If it starts to slip after a few weeks, just spray again and reapply.
This trick is inexpensive, fast, and surprisingly effective.
2. Actually Program Your Thermostat
People buy a programmable thermostat and then treat it like an old-fashioned, circular, metal thermostat. They set it to one standard temperature and walk away, never to touch it again.
This is a mistake! According to the US Department of Energy, dropping the temp while you sleep or during work hours can cut heating and cooling costs by 10%. This statistic also corresponds to our personal experience.
However, it’s important to note that saving money on utilities is not just about the number on the thermostat. It’s also about timing and consistency.
Here’s our current thermostat strategy:
- We lower the thermostat one degree per day until we all feel uncomfortable.
- Then we raise it by one degree, and leave it there.
- It takes your body at least a week to fully adjust to a slightly cooler temperature. So don’t rush it.
Wait a few days, then reevaluate.
At night, we lower the temp and bundle up with heavy blankets. We also lower the temperature gradually closer to bedtime, and then have the thermostat begin warming the house during the first hour we’re awake.
This slow, intentional approach gave us an extra full hour each day at a lower temp – without discomfort.
We love having the smart thermostat app downloaded onto our phone. We can check our home’s temperature and adjust it anytime – even if we’re across town, or across the country. I monitored our home temperatures while on vacation! I can change the settings in literally seconds.
3. Determine the Energy Usage of Appliances
This $30 tool shows exactly how much energy your appliances are using and which ones are quietly running up your bill.
Here’s how to use it:
- Plug the Kill-a-Watt meter into any standard outlet.
- Plug your appliance (like a space heater, dehumidifier, or microwave) into the meter.
- The display will show you how many watts or kilowatt-hours it’s using in real time.
Let it run during normal use for a few minutes (or longer if you want an average over time).
We discovered our dehumidifier was using far more electricity than expected. Unplugging it when not in use shaved several dollars off our monthly bill.
You don’t have to guess anymore, This gives you hard data, fast.
4. Check Your Estimated Bill
Some, but not all, energy companies offer clues about what your next bill will look like.
Some utility companies will send you a weekly summary email or display a running bill estimate through their customer portal. If yours does, sign up! It gives you a big-picture view of your energy use—and can warn you if this month’s bill is trending high.
It’s a fast way to stay on top of things without having to log in and check every day.
5. Check Real-Time Usage on Your Utility’s Website
Many providers now show your usage in real time through their website or app. To view it, you’ll need to first sign up for an on-line account.
We use ours regularly. Within 24 hours, we can see our home’s energy usage down to 15 minute increments.
This makes it easy to spot spikes, which we can connect to what we were using at the time (like running space heaters, cooking dinner, or using the dryer). This data gives us the power to shift patterns and cut back before the bill arrives.
6. Keep an Energy Diary
Just jot down what you used, for how long, and at what setting.
This simple habit made us more mindful of how our habits were impacting our energy usage. It also gave us a clear path to cut back without guesswork.
We created a standard form to track our usage and keep it consistent. It lives right next to the microwave in the kitchen, since that’s where most appliances are used – and where everyone in the house can see it.
Even tracking for just a week revealed patterns we hadn’t noticed. Keeping a written log of our usage helped us spot patterns and eliminate waste. It has been one of the clearest ways we’ve found to lower energy bills without major upgrades.
(For a guide to understanding your energy bill and energy usage, [click here].)
7. Use a Drying Rack or Clothesline
When it comes to drying clothes, we need to rethink our symbiotic relationship with our dryers. Most people don’t realize that the average dryer uses six times the amount of energy as the washer.
Skip the dryer whenever possible. At the very least, you can line dry sweaters, delicates, or anything lightweight. We started regularly using an outdoor line in summer and indoor lines in cold or inclement weather with years ago. The savings added up over time.
8. Throw a Dry Towel (or Dryer Ball) in the Dryer
If you must use a dryer, there are a few easy ways to shorten the cycle and reduce energy use.
Throw in a clean, dry towel. It absorbs moisture from the wet clothes, which helps everything dry faster.
You can also toss in a dryer ball or even a tennis ball. The tennis ball is a little noisy, but it moves the clothes around more efficiently, which speeds up drying and reduces wrinkles and static cling, too.
9. Switch from Timed Dry to Auto-Dry
When it comes to cutting the cost of doing laundry, try the auto-dry function on your dryer. It uses sensors to shut off the dryer when clothes are actually dry.
Timed drying keeps running, even if the load is done. You are wasting additional energy with every cycle.
10. Defeat Phantom Power
Some electronics keep drawing power even when they’re turned off. This includes anything with an LCD screen, remote, or an automatic “on” function It’s called vampire power, vampire energy, or standby power, and it can account for a surprising portion of your electric bill.
Here are some examples: phone chargers, coffee makers, printers, TVs, and microwaves with clocks. They all consume small amounts of energy, even when you’re not using them.
We started unplugging devices we don’t use every day, and it made a difference. For areas where that’s not practical, power strips are a great solution. Switch off the power strip and you will automatically cut power to anything in standby mode.
11. Block Door Drafts with a Towel
A draft snake is handy to have around. Unlike the cold blooded reptilian kind, this one can be placed wherever you need it the most – and will not slither away. These long cylinders of fabric and filled with sand or weighted beads. Place at the bottom of doors to close the gap. Voila! No more air leakage.
No draft snake? No problem. Roll up a bath towel and press it against the base of the door to block cold air from sneaking in.
12. Run the Washing Machine and Dishwasher Only When Full
One full load uses the same energy as a half-full one. Waiting until it’s full makes every cycle more efficient – plus, fewer loads mean less wear on the machine.
13. Rinse Smart
Since we hand wash dishes at home, here’s what saves us energy and hot water:
Don’t let the hot water run while rinsing. Instead, fill a small basin or tub with clean water to rinse dishes instead.
If it’s a big batch, you might need to add some fresh water once, but it still uses way less than letting the tap run for 15–20 minutes – even on a slow stream.
14. Replace HVAC Filters (And Choose the Right Ones)
Dirty filters restrict airflow, forcing your system to work harder and use more energy. But, we discovered years ago that not all filters are created equal.
Cheaper filters might save money up front, but they need to be replaced more often. In our case, we consulted our HVAC specialist and got recommendations on both the best brands and how often to replace them.
We pay a little more per filter, but they last longer – and our system runs more efficiently because they fit our setup. A clean, quality filter can make a bigger difference than you think.
15. Wash Clothes in Cold Water
Heating water accounts for nearly 90% of the energy used in a washing machine. Switching to cold water for most loads is an easy way to cut usage without sacrificing cleanliness.
16. Defrost the Freezer When Frost Builds Up
A thick layer of frost reduces efficiency and makes your freezer work overtime. A quick defrost helps it stay colder and run smoother – with less energy.
17. Cook with Lower Energy Appliances
A couple of years ago, we did a semi-scientific test of four different kitchen appliances. We cooked a butternut squash in our electric wall oven, toaster oven, crockpot, and Instant Pot. The goal was to find out which used the least energy.
We tracked energy usage with a Kill-A-Watt meter (except for the wall oven, which was on its own circuit).
The winner? Surprisingly, the Instant Pot. Compared to the other three appliances, it sipped power.
So, what did this prove? It showed us that by planning meals using lower energy appliances, we could effectively lower our bill. We now make deliberate (and energy conscious) decisions about when and how we cook.
Choosing lower-energy appliances when cooking is an often overlooked way to lower your energy bills – and we have the test results to prove it.
18. Check for Silent Toilet Leaks or Dripping Faucets
We have found out by recent personal experience that a silent toilet leak can waste hundreds of gallons of water every month. Fixing small leaks saves water and reduces the energy needed to heat it.
19. Time Your Showers to Five Minutes or Less
Hot water is one of the biggest contributors to high energy bills – especially during colder months.
Look, sometimes intentions take a hike when you feel that warm water. So, here’s a tip: Play a song or podcast clip you know is five minutes or less. It gives you a natural stopping point and makes the habit easier to stick with.
I usually turn on a short Dave Ramsey Show clip while I shower. That way, I get educated and clean at the same time.
Even cutting back by just 2–3 minutes per shower, especially if you have a passel full of kids in the house, will make a noticeable dent in your natural gas usage.
Want to go further? Our Home Energy Savings Bundle gives you everything we use to stay on track—including planners, logs, and time-saving tools. Learn how to lower your energy bills. Check it out, here or click on the image below.
Our Results
Has the combination of all these habits helped us? Yes! In that past thirty days, we were able to reduce our electric usage by 15% and our natural gas usage by 20%, compared to the exact same dates one year ago.
Our bill? It was 11% lower than last year’s bill.
Wrap-Up
Here’s the bottom line. If your energy bill has been creeping higher every month, or spiking out of nowhere, your frustration is merited. But, it may help to know that you’re not alone – and you’re not stuck.
Between rate hikes, service fees, and unpredictable weather, lowering your energy use has become a necessary strategy, not just a good idea.
But here’s the good news: It’s not about doing everything perfectly. It’s about doing a few things consistently, tracking your results, and then doubling down on the habits which are gaining you the most ground.
These five-minute habits have given us real savings. But, more importantly, we are taking our “power” back. They are also adding fuel to our quest to help you lower your energy bills.
Your Turn
Which of these 5-minute habits have you tried – or are planning to try next?
Let us know in the comments what’s worked in your home, or share your best real-life tip for cutting energy costs. We’d love to hear what’s making a difference for you.
