16 Realistic Ways To Lower Your Electric Bill Right Now

When you're trying to cut monthly costs, decreasing your electricity bill can be a great way to save more money.

Your electricity usage month-to-month is directly correlated to the daily decisions you make around your house, and if you know a few tricks, you can start to bring that monthly bill down.

Here are 16 ways to start cutting down on your electricity expenses today.

You might think that running the dishwasher uses more electricity than washing by hand, but that's not the case.

The electricity necessary to heat the water will add up to more electricity over time than just running the dishwasher (plus, it's easier!).

However, skipping the heat dry on your dishwasher can save money.

Try running the dishwasher shortly before bed, then cracking it open before you go to sleep. The dishes will air dry overnight while saving you electricity.

If you have an electric water heater, every load run on warm or hot will use more electricity.

Instead, focus on running loads of laundry on cold, which will use less energy.

Dryers are one of the biggest culprits of using energy — they can account for up to 5% of your home's monthly energy usage.

When you can, line-dry your clothing outside. Not only does it cost less, but it also has a nostalgic appeal.

If you don't have time to air dry, you can add another spin cycle to the washer.

This will help cut down on the time in the dryer by getting even more moisture out of your items.

There's been a huge push to use LED bulbs in recent years because they're more environmentally friendly, but did you know they also use up to 75% less energy than a traditional bulb?

That can add up to noticeable savings over time.

Putting a dimmer on your lights lets you use less energy, particularly if you don't need your lights to run on full blast.

Turning them down a bit reduces energy usage and saves you money.

Rather than letting electronics slowly leach power in standby mode, get a smart power strip that will cut off the power to these devices when they're not in use.

It's not a huge savings, but every little bit counts.

Ceiling fans use significantly less energy than running the air conditioner, but did you know they're also incredibly effective?

Using a ceiling fan can make a room feel up to 10 degrees cooler!

Not every room needs to be a cool 70 degrees Fahrenheit all day long. If you spend most of your time on one floor during the day, adjust the temperature on the other floor.

Only cool the space that you're actually occupying.

Plant trees outside windows that tend to let in the most natural light.

This will cut down on the sun and heat entering your home and help you use less air conditioning.

Whether you're at work most of the day or on a day trip, don't leave your air conditioning running while you're away.

Instead, get a programmable thermostat that you can adjust when you're not home. You won't have to come home to a hot house, but you also won't pay to cool an empty home.

You may not need your water to get as hot as its default setting. Most hot water heaters go all the way up to 140 degrees, but you might be totally comfortable with 120 degrees.

Experiment with what works for you, and you could end up with a hot water heater using less energy.

It never hurts to ask, even when it comes to getting a deal on your electric bill. Ask your utility company if they have savings opportunities, like running major appliances at off-peak hours.

They might be willing to let you in on money-saving secrets.

Whether it's your oven or your refrigerator, be careful not to open them too often. You'll let out the hot or cold air and make it work harder to return to its desired temperature.

Only open it when you absolutely need to check something or retrieve an item.

An air fryer might seem unnecessary if you have an oven, but pulling out smaller appliances rather than powering up the full-size version can actually save you electricity.

Consider whether you really need to use the oven or if you could pop something in the air fryer or toaster oven instead.

There are so many ways to lower your electric bill so you can stop wasting money. It just takes some small habit changes and consistency — something we can all do. Our bank accounts will thank us for it later.