August 2021
Hello, I have just been out of game for a while but wanted to know if I dont own that eco friendly expansion, is there a way to save on power and water? Bill's are very expensive and dont see a way to lower them.
August 2021
Auto lights help with power. Off the grid I think removes them altogether, but without eco-lifestyles I think that means you can't use anything electric on your lot. Upgrading objects helps reduce their pull, and each object that uses power and/or water has a rating in the build/buy catalog. Look at the rating and it'll help you out. I think the higher the rating the lower the bill (but I'm not certain).
August 2021
You can also buy the special water reservoirs (I forgot their precise name) & solar panels to use less water/power.
August 2021 - last edited August 2021
In addition to the suggestions to buy dew collectors, wind turbines, etc., that come with Eco Lifestyle (which you said you don't have) I'd recommend leveling handiness. Water recyclers and adding energy-efficient upgrades to appliances help SO MUCH. I can run entire off-the-grid households with two or three wind turbines and two or three dew collectors after I upgrade everything.
Also, if your lot is in Mount Komorebi, there's a bug report about the bills being outrageous there. Where does your Sim live?
The general high bills bug report: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/OPEN-Bills-are-really-high/m-p/9756329#M163700
The Mount Komorebi high bills bug report: https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/OPEN-SE-Large-Bills-on-Mt-Komorobi-lots-due-to-high-power-usag...
August 2021
In addition to what the others have said, if your Sims don't already have it, the Frugal satisfaction reward helps a great deal. You can add it to any sim in your household that is teen or older and the discount stacks (screenshot below from my main household that currently has 3 adults). It's always the first reward trait I buy for my teens when they age up from child.