When it comes to electricity and water, are you frugal? When I was a kid, I remember my dad hollering at me to “close the back door because we’re not paying to heat the outdoors”.
It never happened to me, even when I was a kid, but I had friends who would tell me stories about how their folks would turn the hot water off if they took a shower that was too long.
Today, more than ever, it pays to be a little bit frugal when it comes to using energy and water, and we have surveys to prove it.
According to powerwizard.com,
‘Utility bills rarely spike because of one dramatic mistake. More often, they climb quietly, one everyday habit at a time: a TV left on for background noise, a charger that stays plugged in around the clock, water running while dishes are scrubbed, or a thermostat set for comfort without much thought for the monthly bill.
To see where these routines are most common, we surveyed more than 2,200 Americans and built a Utility Bill Run-Up Index based on the electricity and water habits most likely to increase household use. The results show the states most likely to run up utility bills based on where convenience-heavy habits show up most often.
Screen shot / powerwizard.com
The survey from Powerwizard shows us a few things. First off, it shows us that nobody wants to pay more money than they have to for utilities. The second thing the survey shows us is that nobody wants to give up their comfort.
Let’s look at some numbers.
About 65% of Americans leave at least one, and sometimes more than one device plugged in that is not being used but is still using electricity. That includes laptops and other computers, cell phone chargers, TV’s and stereos.
46% of Americans say that their utility bills are higher than they were a year ago.
A typical household in America leaves the TV on up to three hours a day when nobody is watching it
30% of Americans set their thermostat at 68° or lower during the summer.
10% of Americans set their thermostat at 75° or higher during the winter.
Screen shot / powerwizard.com
Who were the worst offenders?
Of the 40 states in the survey, let’s look at the top five states that are most likely to run up their Utility bill.
Number 5 was Ohio on the “utility bill run up index”.
74% of respondents said that they leave chargers plugged in that are not actually in use. Remember, even if we’re not using the charger, if it’s plugged in, it’s using energy.
Number 4 was Indiana.
The average household in Indiana reported that they had over 4 hours of background to TV. When no one was watching. Each day.
Number 3 was Oklahoma.
46% of those surveyed said that they leave their thermostat The same whether they’re in or out of the house.
Number 2 was South Dakota.
75% of those surveyed said that they almost always leave chargers plugged in Even when they’re not charging anything.
Screen shot / powerwizard.com
And the number one state on the utility bill run up index is,
Mississippi.
The average household reported that they run their TV 5.4 hours a day without somebody watching.
The most frugal state of those surveyed.
Alabama,
Of those surveyed, only 10% say that they leave the thermostat as is when they’re out of the house or sleeping.
In the Pacific Northwest, it looks like Washington state is ahead of the rest when it comes to being frugal. Washington State Ranks 33rd on the utility bill run up index.
Oregon State comes in at #22. Idaho at #14.
Remember, the higher the number, the more frugal we are.
So, I guess it’s a good thing that I paid attention to my dad and remembered to turn the lights off when I left a room.
Although I must confess I am guilty of having a phone charger plugged in all the time that’s only used maybe one hour a day.
Items Adding to Your Electricity Bill You Should Unplug or Turn Off
Here is a list of items that are hiking up your energy bill every month.
Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins