Lowering Home Bills with Costco Buys & Services
Your utility bills might feel like a fixed expense, but you have more control over them than you think. A few strategic changes and simple DIY projects can lead to significant monthly savings. Costco is a great place to find the products, from LED bulbs to smart thermostats, that make these savings possible.
Tackling Your Electric Bill
Your electricity usage is measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). A kilowatt-hour is the energy used by running a 1,000-watt appliance for one hour. Your bill is calculated by multiplying your total kWh usage by the unit rate charged by your utility company. To save money, you must reduce your kWh usage.
A great place to start is with lighting. Old incandescent bulbs are incredibly inefficient. An old 60-watt bulb uses 60 watts of energy to produce light. A modern LED bulb can produce the same amount of light using only 9 or 10 watts. Wattage is the measure of power consumption. The lower the wattage, the less energy used. Swapping out just five frequently used incandescent bulbs with LED equivalents can save you over $40 per year.
Another major energy drain is “standby power,” sometimes called vampire power. This is the electricity consumed by electronics even when they are turned off. Your TV, coffee maker, and phone chargers all pull a small amount of power 24/7. Plugging these devices into a power strip and flipping the strip off when not in use can cut this waste entirely. You can often find multi-packs of power strips at Costco for a reasonable price.
Finally, adjust your routines. Set your thermostat to 78°F in the summer and 68°F in the winter, as recommended by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). When possible, wash your laundry in cold water. Heating water is one of the most energy-intensive things your home does, and modern detergents are formulated to work effectively in cold water.
Controlling Gas and Water Costs
If you have a natural gas water heater, it is a major contributor to your gas bill. Most heaters are set to 140°F by the factory, which is dangerously hot and wasteful. For most households, a setting of 120°F is perfectly safe and provides plenty of hot water while saving you 6% to 10% on your water heating costs. Check your owner’s manual for instructions on how to adjust it safely.
Water conservation saves money on two fronts: the water itself and the energy used to heat it. The first step is to check for leaks. A running toilet is a common culprit and can waste hundreds of gallons a day. You can detect a silent leak by putting a few drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color appears in the bowl within 15 minutes without flushing, you have a leak, likely from a worn-out flapper, which is an easy and inexpensive part to replace.
Upgrading fixtures can also lead to big savings. Look for products with the EPA WaterSense label. These fixtures are certified to be at least 20% more water-efficient than standard models. Replacing an old showerhead that uses 2.5 gallons per minute with a WaterSense model that uses 1.8 gallons per minute can save a two-person household thousands of gallons of water per year. Some utility companies even offer a rebate, which is a partial refund, for purchasing water-efficient appliances.
Costco sometimes offers home services through third-party partners for major upgrades like a new, more efficient water heater or HVAC system. While this is a big investment, these programs often come with a Costco Shop Card as an incentive, which can add significant value.
