Save on Utilities Following the devastating effects of Superstorm Sandy, New York City and ridged New Yorkers are beginning to recover. Many have gone without power for extended periods of time and have learned the lessons of being well prepared.
Quick tips for Saving on New York Utilities But as New York City utilities come back on line so does their monthly cost to homeowners and residence of the Big Apple. New York City utilities can cost a family or individual hundreds of dollars a year and many people are now looking for ways to save on their monthly utility bills. Electricity, gas and water are the three main utility bills that need to be paid monthly. Each of these services are obviously a necessity for a family or individual but each also have ways to save money by using less. The most recognizable and clear way for an individual or family to save on their utility bills is to be more conservative in their use of power and water. Reducing the temperature in the home by even one degree will shave a few bucks a month off the utility bill. In fact, regulating the temperature in the home, weather by adjusting the thermostat or turning down the radiator, will be the most cost effective way for a family to save money. This may mean wearing more clothes in the winter and cracking some windows in the summer but few will complain at this when they see the hundreds of dollars per year they are saving. One initially expensive way to help handle the flow of energy and subsequent dollars from the homes heater or air conditioner is to install a programmable thermostat in the home. Programmable thermostats will help to regulate the temperature in the home and keep it at cost efficient levels as well as adjust the temperature for the times, like mid-day, when persons are away from the home or during the night when temperatures do not need to be so high. Additional money saving home installations include weather stripping doors and windows and insulating the garage door if you have one. Providing weather stripping material to seal leaks from doors and windows will keep the bought air in the home and the unregulated outdoor temperatures out.
Insulating the Garage and other Similar Spaces Insulating the garage door, again if you have one, will cause the same effect as weather stripping the doors and window. Massive amounts of cold winter air enter a residence through the garage door as this is typically the one area of the home that is not insulated against weather.
In New York, however, this typically is not an issue. Instead look for leaks along the baseboards where air can enter or escape and seal these with weather proofing material as well as insulate any entrances to attics or crawlspaces that will similarly cause money to be suck from the home in the form of lost energy. Preserving water is similarly easy if one remembers to conserve and not waste the resource. Shortened showers and using bowls of water to wash dishes instead of a running faucet are a few ways to save potential hundreds of dollars per year on your utility bills.