I cut my energy bill by $110 with thermostat and temperature trick and I barely noticed the difference

Aug 18, 2023

UTILITY bills have soared for millions of Americans in recent years, but easy tricks can help you slash them.

Tim Connon found himself paying $210 a month for electricity for just himself in 2021.

At the time, the now 31-year-old had moved from an apartment to a house in Altamont, Tennesse, as inflation was on the rise after the pandemic.

“That's expensive for pretty much anybody,” Tim, founder of ParamountQuote Insurance Advisors, told The U.S. Sun.

“Even if my income levels are even higher, I still wouldn't want to pay that much.

“I think that's outrageous for anybody.”

Of course, utility bills will always vary depending on several factors, including how often you use your appliances, how large your home is, and insulation.

But Tim decided to take action once he bought his first home in 2021.

At the time, general inflation was high, and he was looking to cut costs.

"I wanted to see just how much money I really could save," Tim said.

After doing a little research, Tim said he was able to cut costs with two simple tricks.

When Tim made a move into his new home, he instantly found his bills lower thanks to the improved insulation compared with his apartment.

His first electric bill was only $180 compared with the $210 he was paying.

While the home came with better insulation, Tim improved it even further by getting double-hung windows installed.

These can cost hundreds of dollars each at The Home Depot and Lowe’s, excluding costs for professionals to install them.

For Tim, he said the entire job cost him $3,500, as he did not install the windows himself.

But Tim got the inspiration to do it after having outdated windows in his old apartment, where the draft would pick up “constantly during the night.”

He added: “They were like those flimsy, very thin windows that you'll see in a lot of older buildings.”

By properly insulating your home, you can save up to 20 percent on energy costs, according to the Department of Energy.

This includes reducing air leaks and basement rim joists, as well as adding insulation to attics, floors, and crawl spaces.

If you are building a home, you may want to add fiberglass behind your walls.

By properly insulating your home, the average American household can save 15 percent on heating and cooling costs, according to Energy Star.

At The Home Depot and Lowe’s, the cost of fiberglass ranges between around 55 cents and $1.31 per square foot.

In other words, be sure to look for sales and clearance deals.

“I was actually blessed to have a home that has really good insulation,” Tim said.

But Tim wasn’t done there.

He also made adjustments to his thermostat, which according to him, made the biggest dent in Tim’s utility costs.

He simply reduced the temperature during the winter months and the opposite in the summers when the fan was in the cooling setting.

Tim said he adjusted his air conditioning temperature range between 78 and 80 during the hot months, up from 75.

For the winter months, he had his heating setting down to 73, compared to the 77 it was in the past.

He made the change starting in the middle of 2021 when he moved into a house.

“The whole winter, it cut my bills down by about 50 percent or more on average. I mean, it's great.

“I kept my bills very low ever since then.”

The US Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat back between seven and 10 degrees during the winter and summer months.

If you find that increasing the temperature will leave you sweating in the summer, try boosting it when you’re not at home.

In the winter, add another layer of clothing before you crank up the heating.

“I keep mine fine tune to where I can enjoy it and stand the temperature as it is, but it's not overwhelming to where I have to adjust it or make it super low,” Tim said.

But both moves helped Tim lower his utility bill on average by $140 per month to just $70 a month.

The savings have freed up more money for Tim to spend on groceries.

For more related stories, here are five tricks to improve home insulation and save up to $192 per year.

And here is the full list of vampire appliances costing you $165.