You probably don’t think much about your energy bills except for when you need to make sure they’re paid. You go about using lights, warm water and all the lovely charging cables—everybody does! But, if your rates are about to rise, what things can you use to help temper those price increases? Is there a real way to save money on your electric bill?

Why Your Energy Bills Might Be Going Up: Old Appliances

Your old appliances use extra energy. Your family has likely already traded all of the old lightbulbs in your house for energy-efficient ones. The same principle applies with old, less energy efficient appliances. The older the appliance, the less likely it is to be energy efficient. It might not be a considerable amount of savings initially, but over time, each replaced appliance can save a good deal of money. The cumulative effect can end up saving hundreds of dollars over the life of the appliance.

You’re Losing Heat

When the weather outside is frightful, you want your home to be delightful! With drafts, though, and uninsulated windows, you are draining heat from your home second by second. As your windows age they become less able to keep heat inside your home, leading to higher energy bills. Your local energy cooperative can help you determine if an assessment is needed, and if so, can show you where your home is leaking warmth. It doesn’t matter how delightful your fire, after all, if the heat won’t stay inside. An inspector can use a thermal imaging device, which shows escaping air and heat, and counsel you on what next steps might help your home to prepare for winter’s winds.

Why Your Energy Bills Might Be Going Up: Work Smarter not Harder

When you are working all winter’s days, work a little smarter by using your time and money wisely. If you choose to use your appliances during non-standard hours, it can save you money. For example, non-peak times for dishwashing and laundry are those after eight PM. This is one time when being busy late at night can generate energy! Better still, you wake up to a reset home, and have saved money as well.

During uncertain times, we must be especially careful. Part of this means being thoughtful about where your money is going. You can replace what you can, insulate what you cannot, and hopefully help your bills by working on non-peak hours. Hopefully, you can save enough to continue being toasty all winter long.

Read this next: How to Prepare Your Home for a Hurricane on the Florida Coast

See you at a meeting soon!

The Southwest Florida Real Estate Investment Association is the leading source of SWFL real estate investing events that provide investment education and networking in southwest Florida. We analyze the housing market and foreclosures and provide information, education and networking events in order to build a network and knowledge base for investors and potential investors. Our members include real estate agent, brokers, investors, hedge fund managers, rehabbers, wholesalers and more.

Our SWFL REIA General Meeting is held in Fort Myers where we provide education on hot topics in investing and an opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow investors. You’ll get a chance to ask for advice from successful real estate professionals and even make a few deals on your latest projects.

To become a member, anyone can register as an individual, a couple, or a corporation. Being a member opens the doors for endless networking opportunities, advice from members with decades of experience, new ideas from entrepreneurs, camaraderie with those just beginning, and deals and contracts done in the meeting room. For those interested in Cape Coral rental property investment and/or Fort Myers rental property investment, SWFL REIA will be able to provide a network to help launch a successful investment career.

The SWFL REIA is known and respected as a source of current, actionable and useful information about the housing market in the area that we meet.

We meet twice a month.

Click here for information about the monthly luncheon.  

Click here for information about our nighttime general meeting. 

One of the premier sources for real estate investing networking and education is the SWFL REIA. In the real estate world, the SWFL REIA is different in that they do not do information product sales. Their meetings are focusing on the best ways of investing in real estate by collaborating with other property investors who are sharing their experiences.

We look forward to meeting you at a meeting soon!
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