The typical American home spends about $2,000 on utility bills every year, with about 70% attributed to heating, cooling and hot water. That’s a significant portion of the average household budget and annual family income. There are many simple ways to cut utility bills without sacrificing lifestyle or comfort.

1. Since heating and cooling represent the bulk of a home’s annual utility bills, this is the best place to start cutting. Energy efficient HVAC systems, powered by ENERGY STAR® geothermal heat pumps, can reduce heating and cooling costs by up to 80% over traditional systems.
2. Switch from conventional to ENERGY STAR appliances to significantly reduce costly energy consumption and operate appliances more efficiently – ultimately cutting household utility bills. Examples of ENERGY STAR appliances include high efficiency refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers, furnaces, air conditioners, ceiling fans, freezers, water coolers, dehumidifiers and air purifiers. ENERGY STAR geothermal heat pumps are a household appliance that can increase energy efficiency to more than 400% compared to high efficiency natural gas furnace systems.
3. Monitor and control your home’s temperature. The lower you set the heat in the winter and higher you set the air conditioner temperature in the summer, the more money you’ll save year-round. An easy way to stay committed is to purchase a programmable thermostat that automatically regulates your homes heating and cooling levels.
4. Turn off lights and unplug appliance when they are not being used since they draw and waste energy even when dormant. If you use power strips, be sure to turn them off too to eliminate wasted energy consumption.
5. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) or LED light bulbs. While these innovative and energy efficient bulbs may cost more than their conventional counterparts, they can last seven times longer and use a fraction of the power over their extended lifespan. Studies have shown that a CFL can save more than $50 during its lifetime.

Ask a GeoElite dealer how ENERGY STAR geothermal heat pumps can help you cut your household utility bills.