Saving money and making the most of our time are increasingly important concepts. With fast-paced lives shaped by work, appointments, kids’ schedules, household chores and more, we somehow cram everything into just 24 hours. As we divide our time, and stick to a budget in the process, extra stress can quickly add up. 

Luckily, there is a solution to savings that doesn’t take much effort. When you wake up or as the evening rush begins, incorporating simple practices into your normal routine can help save energy and possibly money on your monthly bill.

Morning Routine

Mornings can be hectic getting everyone out the door on time with breakfast and necessities for the day. Consider working in these practices:

• Crunched for time? Take a shorter shower to save water and energy for water heating.
• Turn off lights and electronic devices before you leave for the day.
• Adjust your thermostat to avoid wasting energy keeping your home cooled or warm when empty.
• Start the slow cooker and set its timer to be ready for dinner later.

Evening Routine

From homework to getting dinner on the table, everyone’s evening routine looks different. Make your routine work for you while keeping energy use low with:

• Using smaller appliances to prepare meals, such as a toaster oven or microwave. They will use less energy than your oven.
• Turning off overhead lights and use lower-power lamps for reading, homework or other tasks.
• Throwing in a load of laundry and wash on a cold water setting. Bonus: hang dry your clothes before you go to bed to save energy and prevent static and wrinkles.
• Filling the dishwasher with dirty dishes but hold off starting until it is completely full. Washing two loads instead of four each week could save nearly $40 in that stretch of time.

Night Routine

As the day comes to an end, keep in mind, activity in the house will be less. To prevent high energy use when everyone is asleep, make these simple adjustments:

• Adjust your thermostat as high or low as you can be comfortable while you sleep, depending on the season.
• As you get rest during the night, give your appliances a break too. Turn off and unplug things you will not use overnight.
• Ensure all lights have been turned off throughout the house. Use LED nightlights as a guide where necessary.

Your home’s smart meter can also help with saving ideas. For customers completing an updated home energy profile, custom energy efficiency tips are shared specific to members within the house. By having this insight, customers can adjust in real time to avoid a higher bill reflecting higher usage. 

Keep track of daily energy use, as in-depth as 15-minute increments, to see when and where high usage occurred and take possible corrective actions. Sign up for Usage Notifications at IndianaMichiganPower.com/alerts. 

For more tips to stay energy efficient year round, visit ElectricIdeas.com.