Saving in Energy Bills

Note: When you add a new tip, please make sure that they go to correct section by looking at existing sections.

About

Saving in Energy Bills: This Tip Article contains various sections, which are about saving in energy bills where you live.

Related Tips are pulled into common sections. Please check before you insert your Tips to make sure that it goes in where it make more sense.
Circulate this link among friends so they can join the party and refine your Tips. HAPPY TIPPING!!

Get a home energy audit every couple of years with your power company to find ways to cut costs.
Check with your utility company for rebates whenever you install energy-saving equipment.
Add more energy-efficient insulation to your attic, preferably with a resistance rating of R-21 to R-30.
Turn down your home thermostat two degrees and save 24 kilowatt hours a month. It might not sound like much, but it adds up.
Lower your hot water thermostat 10 degrees, but no lower than 120 degrees. You'll still get all the hot water you need and save 25 kilowatt hours a month.
Fix leaky faucets -- one drip a second is 20 kilowatts a month.
Invest in weather-stripping kits if you've got drafty doors.
Trade your standard candescent bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs. They are more energy-efficient, last for years instead of months, consume little power and generate little heat.
Turn off your computer when not in use, or use the energy-saving "sleep" mode.
Participate in your power company's special energy-saving program.
Some programs shut down electric appliances for short bursts of time during peak hours. You hardly notice the difference -- except in your bill.
Buy major appliances that sport the "Energy Star" sticker. That shows the appliance meets or exceeds standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Buy a programmable thermostat, especially if your home is vacant most of the day.
Set it to turn on a half hour before anyone arrives home. Adjust your thermostat to a comfortable temperature and wait.
Turning your thermostat up or down dramatically wastes energy and increases your heating costs.

Seal energy leaks.
Caulk over cracks and small holes around windows and exterior walls.
Look carefully around plumbing pipes, telephone wires, dryer vents, sink and bathtub drains and under countertops.

Consider a front-loading washing machine. They use 50 percent less energy and one-third less water.
Plus they remove far more water in the rinse cycle, and that translates into big savings in dryer time.

When building a home or replacing a roof, select a roof based more on energy efficiency than on how it looks.
Light-colored roofs, such as white, galvanized metal or cement tile, do the best job of reflecting the sun and cool quickly at night.

Landscaping can lower your energy bills by blocking winter winds or the summer sun. *Plant trees that shed their leaves in winter to the south of the house, where they will block the most midday summer sun.
Plant shrubs around the windward side of the house to break up incoming winds.