How to Save Money on Your Energy Costs

· Replace your light bulbs and leave your lights on '" Swapping out your older incandescent lights for new CFLs will save a significant amount of money in the course of a year. Also, leave your lights on if you are going to be leaving the area for a few minutes. If you are going to be gone for less than 15 minutes, then it is more efficient to leave the light bulb on.

· Install a programmable thermostat '" Instead of trying to remember to lower the temperature yourself, a thermostat can do the job for you. These thermostats are relatively cheap and can save you one percent of your heating bill for each degree you lower your thermostat over an eight-hour period.

· Install a low-flow showerhead '" Using a low-flow showerhead rather than a regular showerhead you will be using less hot water, which means less energy used for heating water. You can see up to 60 percent water savings, and you will be lowering your water bill at the same time.

· Turn down the temperature on your water heater '" Many water heaters are set to 130° - 140° automatically, but setting it to 120° is just as sufficient for daily use, and it will save you money. Lowering the temperature will save you 3 to 5 percent on your energy costs for every 10 degrees reduced.

· Use windows and window coverings to your advantage '" Opening your curtains during the day in the winter will allow sunlight into the house and significantly warm it in the process. Also, close these curtains at night, and leave curtains closed all day on windows that do not receive direct sunlight. Conventional window coverings can reduce heat loss from a warm room up to 10 percent. For even more insulation, lined drapes are more effective, and installing plastic window film can contain even more heat in the colder months.

· Rearrange your furniture '" Heat can be lost if furniture is blocking or obstructing your heating vents. Moving your furniture to allow uninterrupted air flow will help insure that you are not wasting energy by directly heating your furniture. Vents located next to walls are also a money waster, since the heat is absorbed by the wall, and a simple solution to that is taking a thin wooden board and covering it in bubble wrap, and anchoring that to the wall behind the radiator.

· Invest in a smart power strip - Electronics account for a large portion of energy used throughout the house, and many of these electronics still use energy when they are turned off. These power strips eliminate the useless power usage, and even though they are slightly more expensive than normal power strips, they will typically pay for themselves in six weeks, and save between $2 and $6 a month depending on electronics usage.