How to Save Money on Utilities During Quarantine

As COVID-19 makes its way across the country and into our beloved state of Utah, we are seeing more and more people spending time at home. With children doing their school from home and a good portion of the workforce now working remotely, it’s obvious that this will have an impact on your utilities bill. Here are five steps you can take to save money on your utilities during your time at home.

1. Use Natural Light Whenever Possible

During this time, you can save money by making sure your curtains and blinds are open. Natural light should be sufficient during the daytime and perform most of your daily tasks. Turn on lights in darker rooms, but make sure that the lights get turned off when the rooms aren’t in use. Natural light has also been known to be helpful when it comes to mental health, which is important to keep in mind as we participate in self-quarantine practices like isolation.

2. Say Yes to Showers, and No to Baths

People who shower often use less water than those who take baths. To help you put this more fully into perspective, the average bath uses 36 gallons while the average shower uses five gallons per minute. However, a water-saving showerhead may only use two gallons of water per minute.

To save on your water bill, you may want to encourage family members who are old enough to shower on their own to take showers instead of baths. It would also be wise to ask everyone to limit their showers to a certain time limit—which would depend on how much water your shower uses per minute. Children and teens may need help keeping track of time with the use of timers.

3. Reduce the Impact of Your Electronics

Everywhere you turn in your home someone is using electronics. You may have your work station set up with your computer, iPad, and other needed devices. School-aged kids are using their devices to fulfill their educational and entertainment needs. Your TV may also be on nonstop due to the excess of binge watching that is now the trend. To help you save on electricity during this time, follow these guidelines:

• Turn your computer and other devices off when not in use.
• Reduce the brightness levels on screens.
• Don’t let the TV run just to be background noise.
• Turn off your power strips when not using the devices connected.

4. Get the Grill or Backyard Firepit Ready

COVID-19 may be here, but it’s still spring! Warmer weather typically means that we get to spend more time outdoors, and your backyard is ready to welcome you! Get out the grill and grill up some chicken. If you have a firepit, get creative with tin foil dinners. This way, you can minimize the use of your indoor electricity-using cooking appliances. Also, this is a great way to get outside in a quarantine-safe zone.

5. Childproof Everything & Set New Boundaries

Parents everywhere are now facing the challenge of how to keep their children entertained while being cooped up in the house for endless hours at a time. Part of the battle is also figuring out how to keep them from leaving the fridge open, leaving the water running, and forgetting to shut off electronics. Now, more than ever, is the time to invest in childproofing tools.

Safety locks can be used to keep the fridge door closed. They can also be used to keep little ones from grabbing snacks every ten minutes out of boredom—I mean, how long did your initial supply of quarantine snacks last you anyways?

Light switch guards can keep children from playing with lights or leaving them on accidentally. During daytime hours, encourage your children to open blinds or curtains to let in natural light instead.

Faucet handle restraints can also prevent little ones from excessively playing in the sink during those moments they’ve snuck away from your careful supervision. Playing in the sink every now and then may be fun and totally fine, but childproofing tools can help make sure it doesn’t become too much of a habit or strain on your utility bills.

Shamrock Plumbing is Still Here for You!

We know times are tough, and we are right there with you. During COVID-19, plumbing services are considered an essential service. Because of this, we are still offering our plumbing installation and repair services to help ensure your comfort while spending more time at home. Simply give us a call at 801-505-9505, and we’ll be there for you!