Now that it's officially hot outside and probably not so cool inside, it's time to talk about how the heat is costing you money.
Let’s start with SMUD's new time of day rates. So how much will it cost you to wash your dishes in the dishwasher? According to SMUD's rate calculations, it costs about $.51 between your peak times of 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., $.29 from 8 p.m. to midnight and $.21 between midnight and noon the next day.
Ugh. Sounds cheaper to do all your chores between midnight and noon, right? Probably not that practical, though.
Here are some other ways to trim your bill that you can actually use:
Pulling the Plug
Start by pulling the plug on electronics that you aren't using. Why? Because if an electronic is off but it’s still plugged in, it still uses about 5% energy.
An extra tip on the plug front: If everything is in a power strip, then it's easier to unplug the strip than to unplug each one.
Laundry
When it comes to washing your clothes, you'll want to use cold water instead of hot water. Not only will you save a ton of money by not using hot water, but your clothes will last longer, too.
Air drying your clothes is the cheapest option, but if you have to dry your clothes in the machine, put a dry towel into the dryer. Dry towels are made to soak up water which means your clothes will dry faster, thus saving you money.
Sleeping
Sleeping during the summer is mostly awful, especially if you're trying to save money by not running your AC. Looking for a unique way to cool off while sleeping? You might try putting your sheets in a Ziploc bag, sticking them in the freezer and taking them out right before bed.
Do you have a tip on how to save money? Let Brittany Begley know so she can share your money-saving secret!