1. Program your thermostat- Programming your thermostat to 78-82 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer, 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and automatically adjusting for times when no one is home can save you up to $180 per year.
2. Use fans in addition to A/C – Using ceiling fans in addition to your central air conditioning system can lower the temperature of a room by 4 degrees.
3. Close your blinds – Keep blinds closed during the hottest part of the day to avoid sunlight heating up a room.
4. Turn off lights – In most rooms, there is no need to use lights during the day. When you must turn on a light, remember to always turn it off before leaving the room.
5. Unplug unused appliances – Unplug any appliance that is not being used. Even small appliances such as hair dryers and cell phone chargers constantly use electricity and heat up a home, even when they are not in use.
6. Clean dryer vent before each use – Dryer vents collect lint that can build up and reduce efficiency.
7. Keep refrigerator organized – Organize the food in your refrigerator so that air can flow between items. When a fridge is packed, it must work harder to keep food cooled.
8. Wash clothes in cold water – Using cold water instead of hot in the washer can save up to $150 per year.
9. Let the dishwasher do the work – Don’t pre-rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher, as this can waste water and electricity to heat up that water.
10. Water heater thermostat – Set the thermostat on your water heater between 120 and 130. Lower temperatures can save more energy, but you may run out of hot water or end up using extra electricity to boost the hot water in your dishwasher.
11. Wrap water heater – Wrapping your water heater in an insulation cover (which costs about $15.00) can save up to 20% on your water heating costs.
12. Use the right burner for the right pan – Stoves have different size burners for different size pans. Using the right burner for the right pan avoids not wasting electricity.
13. Wash dishes and clothes at night – some electricity companies charge more during peak hours of the day than during the night. Running the washer, dryer, and dishwasher at night may save on your electricity bill.
14. Be selective on running dishwasher and washer/dryer – Only run the dishwasher and washer/dryer when you have a full load. Be careful not to overfill the appliances though, as this can cause then to be inefficient and need an extra cycle.

Tags: Electricity, Electricity bills, Houston electricity, Mckenzie Drake, Money saving tips, Saving on Electricity Bills, Saving on Utility Bills, Suzanne Carpenter, Tips to help save energy, Utilities, Utility bills

This entry was posted on Monday, May 24th, 2010 at 7:26 pm and is filed under Uncategorized . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.