How to reduce your electricity bill
Knowing how to save on the electricity bill is one of the most common needs among families, especially in recent years.
As you probably know, the electricity bill has become one of the heaviest expense items in family and business budgets. With the continuous increase in electricity costs, finding concrete strategies to reduce consumption and lighten the bill is now a necessity, no longer a choice.
Let’s see together how to save energy at home, how to take advantage of time slots to save electricity and what benefits you can get by choosing alternative energy sources such as photovoltaic.
Photovoltaic: a long-lasting investment with increasingly shorter payback times
Photovoltaic represents a concrete green turning point to self-produce electricity autonomously and become independent from the fluctuations of the electricity market. The benefits deriving from the installation of a photovoltaic system are many:
- Generate your own electricity, becoming independent from the energy market and the cost fluctuations associated with it;
- The installation of a photovoltaic system also allows a reduction in energy costs, freeing the end customer from the costs of supplying the electricity grid or other sources, totally or partially;
- Increase in the commercial value of the property on the real estate market, whether it is a domestic property or an industrial plant;
- Transforming solar energy into electricity, emancipating oneself from fossil fuels, means significantly reducing the impact of the latter on the environment.
Photovoltaic is now synonymous with sustainable energy education, an element that overrides any speculative aspect to the benefit of elements of a cultural nature. Precisely for this reason, this year too, there are numerous incentives at the service of families and companies that choose to undertake this valuable path.
How to save energy at home with household appliances
Did you know that household appliances are among the main culprits of electricity consumption at home? Luckily, with a few precautions you can drastically reduce the impact on your bill. The first step is to choose highly energy-efficient appliances, preferably in class A++ or higher.
Even small daily attentions can make a difference: for example, use the washing machine and dishwasher only when fully loaded, set low-temperature programs and unplug appliances on stand-by.
Going into detail, here are 10 tricks to save energy at home, starting with the use of the most common appliances:
- When using the washing machine, always use a full load and, where possible, prefer washes at 30° or 40° rather than high-temperature programs that consume much more;
- With the dishwasher, remove food residues before starting the wash, use the Eco program and let the dishes dry by simply opening the door at the end of the cycle;
- Adjust the temperature of your refrigerator between 4°C and 6°C, do not put hot food in and periodically check the door seal;
- When using the oven, prefer fan-assisted cooking, avoid preheating if not necessary and open the door as little as possible;
- Use the air conditioner when necessary, setting it to no less than 25-26°C, remembering to close doors and windows during use and favoring the dehumidifier mode;
- Turn off appliances: TVs, computers, routers and consoles should never be left on stand-by, but turned off completely when not in use;
- Choose LED bulbs, which consume up to 90% less than traditional incandescent bulbs;
- Optimize natural light: during the day, make the most of solar lighting, avoiding turning on artificial lights;
- Unplug chargers: even when not connected to a smartphone, they continue to consume electricity if left in the socket;
- Insulate your home better, for example with thermal curtains or draught excluders on the windows: even small interventions can significantly reduce the need for heating or cooling.
Time slots to save electricity
Another way to save electricity is to pay attention to time slots. If your contract includes the measurement of consumption by time slots, choosing a two-hourly rate can help you save significantly on your electricity bill. This type of rate provides different energy prices based on the time of use, encouraging you to move the consumption of the most energy-hungry appliances into the cheapest time slots. The time slots are divided like this:
- F1: Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 19:00 (most expensive time slot);
- F2 and F3: 19:00 to 8:00 on weekdays and for the entire duration of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (cheaper time slots).
This is precisely why we talk about two-hourly rates: F2 and F3 are combined into a single band at a reduced price. The two-hourly rate is particularly advantageous if you manage to concentrate most of your consumption in the evening hours or on weekends. If, however, you use a lot of energy during the day, a single-hourly rate may be more suitable.
LED bulbs and smart thermostats
If you are looking for concrete ways to save energy at home, two essential allies are LED light bulbs and smart thermostats.
LED bulbs consume up to 80% less than old incandescent bulbs and last up to 25 times longer. The advice, therefore, is to replace traditional lighting with LED technology throughout the house, to drastically reduce electricity consumption, without sacrificing the quality of light.
Heating and cooling also have a significant impact on the bill. In this case, you can install smart thermostats, which are devices that allow you to precisely program the times for switching the systems on and off, optimizing the use of energy only when it is really needed.
How to save on your electricity bill with photovoltaic
As already reiterated, among all the strategies on how to save on the electricity bill, installing a photovoltaic system is one of the most effective and long-lasting.
Thanks to self-consumption, you can directly produce the energy you need to power your home, drastically reducing the amount of electricity drawn from the national grid. Just think of a simple example relating to a user with a two-hourly electricity tariff:
- where not equipped with a photovoltaic system, this user will have to take into account that from 8:00 to 19:00 he will have to deal with energy costs that are much more expensive than the evening costs;
- on the contrary, where equipped with a photovoltaic system, this user will be able to benefit from an autonomous production of electricity at zero cost during the daytime hours, in which the production of photovoltaic electricity is at its maximum
Furthermore, by combining photovoltaic with a storage system, you can store excess energy produced during the day and use it in the evening or during times of lower production, maximising energy savings.
In addition to cutting costs on your bill, investing in solar will give you the opportunity to access interesting incentives for photovoltaics, such as tax deductions or non-repayable grants.
If you are thinking of installing a photovoltaic system, Southenergy offers you a free consultation, studying your energy situation and proposing the solution best suited to your needs: with or without battery, with the possibility of incentives and always turnkey.
Contact us now to find out how much you can save on your electricity bill thanks to photovoltaics.
FAQ How to save on your electricity bill
What are the most effective strategies to reduce your electricity bill in 2025?
Key strategies include:
- Installing a photovoltaic system to self-produce energy.
- Monitoring consumption with apps and smart devices for energy efficiency.
- Conscious use of household appliances, avoiding waste.
- Shifting consumption to the most advantageous time slots based on the chosen layout.
- Replacing old appliances with low-consumption models (class A+++).
How much can you save with a photovoltaic system?
A well-sized photovoltaic system allows you to save up to 90% on your annual electricity bill, especially if combined with a storage battery and intelligent consumption management. Savings increase if you can directly self-consume the energy produced.
Are there any government bonuses or incentives to help reduce your electricity bill?
Yes, among the available incentives:
- Electricity social bonus for families with low ISEE.
- Tax deductions for energy efficiency interventions (e.g. photovoltaic systems, efficient household appliances).
- Contributions for storage systems and energy communities.
- Check the requirements on the ARERA portal or at your Municipality.
Which appliances consume the most energy?
Optimizing the use of electrical appliances that consume the most is essential to contain the costs on the bill. Among these we certainly find the air conditioner, the hair dryer, the refrigerator, the washing machine, the microwave, the dishwasher and the electric oven.