Twenty Ways to Reduce Energy Usage and Save Money on Your Power Bills

When summer comes around, and it will come around again, how are you going to keep from breaking into the savings account to pay the energy bills? The cost of energy is only getting higher.

According to the Energy Information Administration, the cost of natural gas per thousand cubic feet will increase by 5.7% this winter in the U.S. And the average home used 920 kilowatt hours of electricity monthly, with appliances usurping nearly 65% of the home's energy. Here are some tips to fight high energy bills this summer:

1--Energy efficient water heaters are a must. Think about how much you use it-for baths and showers, kitchen sink use, dishwashers, and clothes washers. The Power is In Your Hands website estimates that nearly 15% of a home's energy usage is from the water heater. The website suggests placing an insulation wrap around your water heater with insulation around the pipes to conserve the loss of heat, thus saving precious energy.

2--The Alliance to Save Energy recommends replacing the five most often used light bulbs in your house with fluorescent, energy efficient compact bulbs. Regular or incandescent bulbs are believed to use most of their energy to heat the bulb, which adds heat into the room, pushing up energy usage and costs. Energy efficient light bulbs are those funny-looking ones with the corkscrew-shaped bulb. They not only burn brighter on less energy, but they last longer, which means more money is saved since you don't have to replace them as often.

3--Adding motion detector lights on the exterior of your home saves energy because the lights turn off automatically after just a few minutes of no detected movement.

4--Try to avoid halogen lights. They suck up energy, plus they are fire hazards.

5--It's a no-brainer to turn off all lights, and only leave on those that will be in use. Closet lights, bathroom lights, hall lights, and laundry room lights should be off except for when you are in those rooms.

6--The Energy Information Administration reports that gradually, since 1990, there's been a growing increase in the number of homes using larger refrigerators. Is it really necessary to have a refrigerator as big as you can afford? It's better to purchase a smaller, Energy Star refrigerator. This way, you are saving on 2 counts: it takes less energy to cool an Energy Star refrigerator and you have fewer cubic feet to keep cool.

7--Examine all doors and windows to make sure you are keeping as much cool air from the air conditioner as possible. Check to make sure all the windows are closed and locked. Apply weather stripping, if necessary, to stem the outgoing flow of cool air around windows and doors.

8--Check your insulation in the attic or space above your ceilings. Proper insulation keeps cool air in when the air conditioner is operating.

9--Invest in energy efficient window shades. Yes, this is money up front but it can really pay off by reducing heat radiation from outdoors coming in through the glass in the summertime.

10--Energy experts suggest we set our thermostats 10 degrees cooler than the outdoors and no lower. For example, if it's 95 degrees outside, then 85 degrees is the proper setting for indoors.

If you think you can't do it, then begin to slowly and gradually set the temperature at 1 degree warmer than you normally would. For example, if you normally leave your thermostat on 77 degrees all summer, consider setting it on 78 when you first turn your air conditioner on for the season. According to the Edison Electric Institute, raising your thermostat in the summer by just 1 degree will yield a 2% savings on your power bill. Then, the second month, see if you can step it up to 79 degrees. Remember, to help stay cool when you are sitting still in a room, you can turn on a fan.

11--Wear cooler clothes indoors in the summer: sleeveless t-shirts, collarless shirts, and shorts. If you've got long hair, be sure you keep it pulled up or tied back. Anyone who has ever had long hair knows how it can heat you up in a flash when it's laying against your neck.

12--Be vigilant about checking the filter on your air conditioner monthly. It's just common sense that filters clogged with dust and dirt make it more difficult for the cool air to get through.

13--Try to limit the amount of time you use the oven and stove. Most ovens, in particular, radiate quite a bit of heat into the room and should thus be used for quicker baking and cooking. Use the microwave when you can as it releases less heat and is more energy efficient.

14--Have thermostats that utilize timers to set the temperature higher during the day when you are gone and cool it down when you are home.

15--When an appliance or other electric apparatus is not in use, unplug it. This is especially important for various chargers like those for cell phones, cameras, MP3 players and PDAs.

16--Also, be sure to use fans only when someone is present in the room. Fans do not actually cool down the temperature. Rather, they cool down our bodies, particularly if we are sweating. So, fans present the illusion that the room is cooler when, in actuality, the fan is just cooling off our bodies.

17--Buy energy efficient appliances. Refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, and clothes washers all take a large percentage of the energy used in your home. And please, televisions should all be Energy Star-marked. Most of us have the television on several hours a day, or all evening after work.

18--Don't leave computers on when not in use. Even in sleep or hibernation modes, they use power that costs money.

19--Be sure to wash only full loads of clothes to conserve energy.

20--Don't be afraid to explore solar energy solutions to see if you could utilize them to reduce your energy costs and consumption.

Make it a goal to reduce your home's energy consumption and costs this summer. You will save money and this beautiful earth of ours will thank you.

References:
Alliance to Save Energy
Edison Electric Institute
Energy Information Administration
Power is In Your Hands website