5 Easy and Effective Ways to Cut Household Energy Bills

Since many utility companies charge more for energy during "peak hour" periods (typically on weekdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.), try to avoid heavy usage during those times.

Brian O'Connell

Published: 8/10/2026, 10:02:19 AM EDT

5 Easy and Effective Ways to Cut Household Energy Bills — Service technicians work to install the foundation for a transmission tower at the CenterPoint Energy power plant in Houston, Tx., on June 10, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

U.S. household utility bills continue to light up consumer budgets, with no apparent end in sight.

According to the Center for American Progress, electricity prices doubled in 2025, rising more than twice the inflation rate. Price-wise, utility rates grew faster than other big household expenses like groceries, cars, trucks, and SUV’s, and health care and medicine.

Things are so toxic on the U.S. utility cost front that an expanding number of Americans are seriously behind on their electric bills. Data from S&P Global shows ratepayers unable to pay their power and natural gas bills today “owe their utilities a total of $23 billion,” and “Many of the same ratepayers face temporary disconnections because of delinquent bills.”

Utilities market experts say energy costs have become astronomical due to upgrading the power grid, rising energy demands from data centers, and rate increases. “Here in the Valley, when temperatures rise to 115 degrees, the cost of the energy becomes another mortgage. APS and SRP keep raising the cost of power every year,” Greg Field, owner, PGT Home Energy Solutions in Phoenix, Arizona, told NTD News.

“Whenever it becomes hot in Scottsdale or Goodyear, cooling systems need to work continuously. Summer electricity bills increase twofold and threefold, becoming more than 500 dollars a month.”

Here’s How to Cut Burgeoning Utility Costs

You don’t need to be a master electrician to hardwire significant household energy savings. Technology is making that job easier, as are healthy doses of old-fashioned fiscal discipline and money management creativity.

These action steps should put a serious dent in that growing utility bill.

Pre-cool your home like a thermal battery

Energy companies tend to impose premium rates in afternoon hours when demand becomes maximum. “Stay disciplined and lower your thermostat by 3 degrees in the morning when the power is cheaper,” Field advised. “Let the floors and walls cool down before the afternoon comes. Then raise the temperature to 78 degrees during peak hours. Thus, you avoid peak hours without paying peak rates.”

Get your HVAC checked out regularly

A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning unit (HVAC) typically runs for hours, so it consumes a lot more energy than household appliances. Consequently, homeowners should ensure their HVAC systems are properly installed, used, and maintained. “Seek professional inspection and maintenance at least once a year,” Tamer Sayed, a licensed HVAC technician and the owner-operator of Ontario-based Tamas Mechanical, told NTD.

Also aim to improve insulation and sealing to prevent air leaks, which tend to cause the compressor to run longer and consume energy in the process. “Take advantage of thermostat controls as well,” Sayed said. “Set it to automatically adjust temperature when no one is at home or when everyone at home is asleep.”

Whether it's summer or winter, also use thick curtains to prevent warm air from escaping during winter and to block the sun's heat during summer. “Making sure your HVAC's compressor isn't running all the time is a way to lessen energy usage,” Sayed added.

Start hunting down ‘vampire energy’ suction costs

One of the biggest mistakes people make with home energy use is ignoring so-called "Vampire energy" draws, which can account for 5 to 10 percent of a home's total electricity use annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

“Vampire energy draws are electrical devices that pull power even when they are turned off,” Sequoya Cross, vice president of energy storage for Briggs & Stratton Energy Solutions, told NTD.

Cross advises taking a walk around your home and identifying items like your laptop, printer, coffee maker, phone chargers, and other items that can easily be unplugged. “Your TV and video game consoles use energy even when they are turned off because they are still plugged in,” Cross noted.

In the kitchen, pay attention to items that have a digital display screen because they pull power, even when they’re off. “In general, it’s a good idea to unplug toasters, coffee makers, electric kettles and other items when they’re not being used,” Cross advised. “You can also control devices and turn them off with smart power strips or smart plugs to eliminate wasted energy.”

Start paying attention to peak hour charges

Since many utility companies charge more for energy during "peak hour" periods (typically on weekdays from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.), try to avoid heavy usage during those times.

Once the family is home in the late afternoon, they’re turning on lights, using the stove, opening and closing the fridge, running the dishwasher, doing laundry, using their computer, and watching TV or playing video games. “All of those activities drive up energy consumption and typically cost more because they’re being done during peak hours,” Cross noted.

Off-peak hours typically run from the late evening to the early morning, so that’s the best time to run the dishwasher, do laundry, and meal prep items for the coming days. “Weekends are also typically categorized as off-peak hours so shifting tasks to Saturday or Sunday can save money,” Cross said.

Deploy back-up energy sources

Battery backup systems are a great way to avoid those peak charges. Simply put, batteries store power from solar panels or the grid, and the best time to use this stored energy is when the utility charges the most, during peak hours.

"Using an app, the batteries can be programmed to kick in at a certain time each day to reduce or even eliminate power consumption from the grid,” Cross said. “How much backup energy you have depends on the number of batteries in your system."

For those who don’t have solar panels, simply recharge the batteries from the grid during off-peak hours and then use the energy during peak hours. “For those with solar panels, the batteries can kick in during peak hours or during times when the sun isn’t out,” Cross added.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the interviewees. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. NTD does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. NTD holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.