For elderly people who are living on a tight or fixed income, making sure that they don’t have monthly energy or utility bills that far exceed what they’ve budgeted for is vital. But with rising prices leaching into all aspects of life, including utilities, many people, including the elderly, are likely looking for ways that they can cut back on these bills without putting themselves out too much. Luckily, for most people, this is perfectly attainable.
To help you see how this can be done, here are three ways to help your elderly loved one save on their energy bills if they’re living in their own home and not in an assisted living facility.
Encourage Them To Use Their Appliances
If utility bills are becoming worrisome to your elderly loved one, you might come to find that he or she has already taken some measures in an attempt to reduce their bill. However, some of these measures might not actually be making a difference for them, or could possibly be costing them more money.
One area where this might be taking place is with the use of appliances. If your elderly loved one has started washing dishes by hand now in an attempt to save money, most dishwashers are actually more energy efficient than washing by hand. So if you notice that your loved one has stopped using some of their appliances and are going about things by-hand, consider if this is actually helping or hurting their goal.
Help Them Switch To CFL Light Bulbs
A simple change that can be made to help them save on energy costs is to start using CFL light bulbs. So if you’ve noticed that your elderly loved one has continued to use incandescent light bulbs as they have been since they can remember, it might be time to switch them out.
With CFL light bulbs, while they might be more expensive upfront, they will cost less in the long run and use less energy.
Lower The Temp On Their Water Heater
Regardless of what kind of energy is being used to heat the water in your elderly loved one’s home, turning down the temperature on the water heater can help to save them money. A lower temp will allow them to use less energy to heat the water and will likely have the water heater turn on less often.
Along with this, having a lower temperature on the hot water heater can also help your elderly loved ones to avoid the risk of getting scalded by water that’s too hot for them.
If you want to help your elderly loved one begin saving some money on their energy and utility bills, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you in doing this.