Energy Saving Tips for the New Year

The economy has left many people scrambling to pay the basics each month: rent, mortgage and home utilities. There is a way to reduce the cost of your home's electric and gas bill without changing your lifestyle by keeping the lights off and by keeping the house cold.

As the cost of living increases and the economy continues to maintain steam as it is jumpstarted by President Obama's stimulus plans for stopping home foreclosures and stimulating more jobs. You can create your own personal stimulus plan for your home by cutting back on unneeded energy waste so that you have the money that is needed for other areas of your life. This is a project that you can get the whole family involved with.

Last winter I asked my family to pay attention to the use of lights in our home and to not waste electricity by leaving the lights on in various rooms empty throughout our home. With the whole family just paying that extra bit of attention we cut the cost of our bill over 40%. This amazed all of us and we cheered as we got our new bill. Here are some tips for reducing your bill for the New Year.

Tip One:
Replace light bulbs with the new energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs as the older bulbs burn out. The new fluorescent light bulbs have the traditional shape of a light bulb but hidden in the interior of the bulb shell is the coiled, compact fluorescent bulb.

Tip Two:
Have your heating and cooling system checked by a technician and change all filters regularly. This can be done for a small cost, find someone that you trust. Word of mouth is always the best way to locate a trust worthy technician.

Tip Three:
Shut off the lights when you are not using them. Teach your kids to shut out the lights when they leave a room. Send them back to shut the lights out if they forget. The gentle reminder will create a way of life for your family that is energy efficient.

Tip Four:
Adjust the heating or cooling system so that it is not using as much energy in the late evenings and during the day when no one is home. Check your thermostat for instructions on how to have it automatically adjust to save money during these times each day. Consider having your thermostat updated for money saving reasons.

Tip Five:
Place weather stripping around all leaky doors and windows in your home. If there is an especially drafty area in your home you need to first locate the reason for the draft and second investigate and purchase the materials needed to deal with the problem at your local hardware store. Taking care of drafts in your home will stop energy leaks in your home. Picture the money leaking out of the windows and put a stop to it.

Tip Six:
Open the shades and let the sunlight flood your home. The sunlight offers each home no cost heating and lighting as well as healthy vitamin D.

Tip Seven:
Do full loads of laundry rather than half or partial loads. Also do full loads in the dishwasher as well. This will add up to extra savings as you eliminate the extra cost of water and energy. Whenever possible allow clothes to air dry. Consider creating a line in your laundry room and hang your clothing or bedding up to dry in the privacy of your home as this is one way to reduce the cost of energy and still maintain your privacy.

Tip Eight:
Turn off all equipment that is not being used at the time: examples would be: battery chargers, computers and other electronic equipment. Shut the TV off if it is not being watched. Once you start paying attention to what is being run 24-7 in your home unnecessarily you will begin realizing that you can save money simply by shutting electronics off. This will put a stop to wasted energy each and every month.

Tip Nine:
Begin to replace older appliances with newer more energy efficient models. Do not just assume that a quick fix is the best fix. Consider replacing worn out appliances with money saving energy efficient appliances.

Tip Ten:
Adjust the hot water temperature in your home. It is unnecessary to constantly have your hot water heater maintaining very hot water, this wastes energy and making a slight adjustment can save you money each month.

Saving money on your electric and gas utility bill is easy and fun. The money saved will be placed back in your pocket each month. Getting the whole family involved is also very helpful and a great way to teach the kids energy efficient tips for life. The celebration when the new bill comes and the savings can be seen is something everyone will appreciate and rally around from the youngest to the oldest in your family.

Start out the New Year with savings on your energy bill. The small changes are worth the substantial savings that are available for you and your wallet. Energy savings can become a part of your family's personal stimulus plan.