Among all home appliances, those that produce heat consume the most power. This is why your electrical bill shoots up to the high heavens during the peak of winter. However, there are ways to make maximum use of the heat your appliances give off so that your energy consumption does not need to increase unnecessarily, whether it’s winter or not.

Residual heat—heat given off by an appliance even after you've pulled the plug—is a powerful yet often ignored tool. If you make use of residual heat, you'll be amazed at how much energy, and consequently money, you're able to save.

So how do you make use of residual heat? When you're ironing your clothes, pull the plug just a few minutes before you need to stop using it. The heat coming from the iron is enough to remove the wrinkles from an extra couple of shirts. It’s best if you iron your clothes by the bulk instead of pressing just one outfit every time you go out. Pressing clothes by the bulk lets you unplug the iron every few minutes so you can use up residual heat. In effect, you’ll be pressing a significant portion of your clothes without having to use up electricity for it. The same principle goes with using the stove. Just a few minutes before you finish cooking, especially if the setting is on high heat, turn off the stove and allow the residual heat to finish the job.

Since appliances that generate heat cost the most, don’t leave them turned on when they aren’t in use. Leaving them on for a few extra unnecessary minutes may be insignificant if it’s done for one time only, but if you make it a habit out of it, they add up and reflect on your bills.