Lower Your Heating Bills -- Turning your thermostat down three degrees can save you about 3% on your heating bills. Turn it down even lower when your in bed at night and during the day when you're at work to save even more. Close off rooms you don't use to conserve more energy. Weatherstrip doors and windows and insulate the attic.
Improve appliance efficiency -- The three biggest consumers of energy in your home are the heating system, hot water heater and refrigerator. You can improve the efficiency of these appliances by making sure they are maintained. Give your furnace a tune-up once a year. Wrap the water heater to insulate it and clean the refrigerator coils at least twice a year. Contact your utility company and find out if a reduced rate is offered during certain times of the day. If so, use a timer to set your water heater so that it cycles during this period.
Lower long distance charges -- Calling friends and relatives at night and on weekends can significantly lower your long distance telephone bill. In addition, shop around and compare long distance packages to get an even lower rate. Of course, you can save a bundle by communicating via e-mail rather than making a telephone call.
Lower Your Water Bill -- Fix all water leaks and install water saving showerheads. You can also place a container filled with water, a brick or other heavy object in the toilet tank to conserve water.
Do full loads of dishes and laundry. Your water heater is the second biggest consumer of energy in your home. Dishwashers use a lot of hot water -- it might be a better idea to just wash the dishes the old-fashioned way. Washing a full load of clothing is the most economical way to use your washing machine. Use cold water whenever possible. Washing your clothes and dishes when the machines are just half full costs the average American household $700 to $900 in added utility fees each year.
Dryer. Your dryer uses less energy if you dry groups of clothing one immediately after another. You save energy because your dryer is already hot.
