Ask About Time-of-Use Plans
Contact your electricity provider to ask whether it charges different prices for power at different times of the day. If it does, try to avoid using energy-guzzlers such as dishwashers and clothes dryers during peak hours, when the rates may be highest. What you might save will vary by the time of year and the region, but a New York City resident with Con Edison as their provider and a monthly bill of around $300 could save about $1,900 annually if 75 percent of their usage was during off-peak hours.
Check Out Competitors Carefully
In 23 states and Washington, D.C., you can choose from more than one electric or natural gas provider, and some may have better prices than others (See whether your state offers this choice.) “You might be able to save 5 percent on your overall bill,” says Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, an educational and policy organization. Read the fine print before you make a switch, and be aware that promotional prices are usually only short term. Wolfe says that ultimately, consumers often find that rates at new providers are higher than they expected.
