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StitcherNothing like a summer heat wave will remind us how expensive it is to stay cool…literally. But guess what? You don’t need to feel guilty about it at all. In this episode, Jen and Jill are breaking down free, frugal ways to cool your home and your energy costs without feeling guilty!
You will spend more money upgrading than you will save on your energy bill.
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Check out some relevant episodes
FREE Ways to Save Electricity
Jen and Jill recommend checking out programs like the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which helps low-income families improve the energy efficiency of their homes, and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which assists households in meeting their immediate home energy needs.
The guidelines vary from state to state but it covers around 200% of the poverty lines. You can find your local LIHEAP office at https://energyhelp.us/.
Low Cost Ways to Save on Electricity
Jen finds that buying energy-efficient appliances might not do much since the big culprits are the AC or furnace, which take up about 50% of your bill, and the water heater, which can take another 14%. Instead, Jill recommends insulating and air sealing our homes, and switching to a tankless water heater.
Deals to Save on Electricity
For insulation and sealing, Jill suggests looking for rebates that come from free energy checks. For tankless water heaters, check Black Friday sales, because traditional water heaters are more likely to break in the winter.
Meanwhile Jen recommends checking Time of Use discounts offered by energy companies to see if shifting your routine could lead to savings. For homes with a pool or tank water heater, the EnergyWise® Home program is a great option to reduce usage during peak times, and you could earn up to $150 in rebates.
Guilt Free Ways to Save on Electricity
According to PitchBook, private-equity investors have purchased nearly 800 HVAC, plumbing and electrical companies since 2022. These companies can appear polished and well-funded, but local businesses are often more reliable.
To make sure you’re not overpaying or dealing with poor service, Jen and Jill suggest narrowing your search to three companies, then Google “[company name] private equity.” Local companies might not have the budget, but they’re more likely to be responsive and provide quality service.
What’s the highest your electric bill has ever been?
Jill lives in a not-so large home but during a season of renovations, hosting guests in their back unit, and heavy AC use, her electric bill climbed to $350. Jen saw her own bill peak at $377 due to ongoing renovations, renters, and an RV parked on-site.
Bill of The Week
Thank you Violane from Paris for sharing your bill (again) about what you did with unexpected money received in July – half put to life insurance, and half to plane ticket to U.S. to visit Boston & Vermont.
Thanks so Much for Listening!
Thanks so much for listening. We love love love reading your kind reviews of our book Buy What You Love Without Going Broke and we especially loved this one from:
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Finally, a personal finance book to which we can ALL relate! This book is spot on. Jill and Jen wholistically present--in a very digestible, related approach--many of the primary influences in why and how we value our financial resources and how we can find balance with them amidst all of the social media and other noise that competes for our attention and, it follows, our money. I work in financial services, have read about 20 personal finance books, listen to many of the major personal finance podcasts and "Buy What You Love Without Going Broke" has quickly moved to the top of the list in helping me understand my current mind set and behavior and how, if at all, I can better align both with what has the most meaning and impact for me. Also, I'm a huge fan of the Frugal Friends podcast and listen to every episode!
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Keep leaving us reviews on iTunes or Stitcher, and sending the screenshot to reviews@frugalfriendspodcast.com. And don’t forget to share your favorite quote from the episode by using the hashtag #FrugalFriendsNote. 😉
