It is that time of the year again, Winter! Where heating bills skyrocket and can be devastating for some homeowners. As the weather turns cold in the North Eastern states, office and residential heating costs naturally rise along with the price of electricity and gas. Of course, this is due to the increase in demand, as well as a reduction in natural gas inventories. So a higher bill should be expected but only to a certain extent. Many things besides increased energy prices cause these sometimes jaw-dropping bills to show up in the mailbox. A typical response for most people is to regulate their thermostat so that the bill remains low. This often results in decreased comfort. By identifying why your home is not being heated efficiently or using other nifty tricks, you can prevent high increases and remain comfortable throughout the winter.

Sure, it’s no secret that household utility bills constitute a large portion of our monthly or annual expenses, and when planning your household budget, you need to delegate a lot of money towards the electricity bill. All or most household appliances are usually powered by electricity, this includes, lights, heating, and cooling systems and because electricity is something we use every day, choosing the right electrical services is the first step to help you save money, but you can also do a few things around the office or house to help reduce the electricity bill.

Speaking of electricity and natural gas, in the U.S the main utilities in the North Eastern states are National Grid, Duke Energy, and Eversource. These companies all have one thing in common, they provide gas and electricity to customer homes and offices but that is where their similarities end. Each varies in terms of pricing and they all have their own advantages. The alternative suppliers are third-party companies that simply buy electricity and supply it to customers over power lines managed by the utilities. No need to go into details as every business or household has unique requirements and lifestyle. However, if you intend to switch from one supplier to another,

Here are some of the things you need to consider, to save money.

• Find alternative suppliers that are licensed to do business in your state.
• Compare rates. Click the link to compare electric suppliers and see which one best fits your needs.
• Look out for slamming. Slamming is when a third-party energy supplier switches you to its service without permission.
• Avoid auto-renewals. This gives you the opportunity to exercise your options and get better deals elsewhere.
• Look out for other fees, like signup fees, termination fees etc.

If you are a business owner or you run a company, then you definitely need to compare business electric and gas rates. So, depending on the location of your business or where you live, you may save money by switching if you do your homework and stay on top of contract renewals.

Other Things You Can Do To Reduce Office or Home Utility Bills

As earlier mentioned, most people think of only regulating the thermostat. So what other was can you keep the cold out? Well, consider replacing single pane windows with double-pane windows. Also, consider gas-filled windows. The gasses are not harmful and act as an added insulator. If you decide not to replace your windows, you can reduce drafts by attaching a clear plastic film or heavy-duty, plastic clear sheet on your windows.

Most people do not notice this but your water heater is the second largest energy consumer next to your heating and cooling system. When doing laundry, you don’t have to warm water. Simply use the water from the faucet. This alone will save you as much as 70% – 90% in washing machine energy consumption, further reducing utility bills.

Using blankets, Blankets? Yup, blankets! Sounds weird, but think about it having a few throw blankets in your living room will help bring down energy cost. How? Well, it will give you the ability to raise your temperature without having to raise the room temperature. Plus, if you live with other people, you can keep yourself warm without giving everyone else heatstroke with the thermostat.

It might not look much but combining all these saving measures will significantly reduce utility bill expenses.