Ten Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills

 The bad economy is making a lot of us look for ways to save money. There’s no better place to start trying to save than with reducing energy costs in your home.  Here are ten ways to get your started:

 1. Turn off lights when you’re not in a room or not in use.

 2. Use energy savings light bulbs such as Energy Star Compact Fluorescent light bulbs.

 3. Turn down your heating/air thermostat to 68 degrees.

 4. If you have a  Programmable Thermostat, program it to turn off when you’re not at home and to turn  back   on shortly before you return home.

 5. Unplug appliances or other items when not in use. (ex. toasters, electrical can openers etc.)

 6. Weatherize your windows and doors to keep the cold out. (add or replace weather stripping)

 7. Close heating/air vents in rooms that are not in use.

 8. Add insulation to your attic and walls.

 9. Clean or replace dirty furnace filters monthly.

 10. Use your washer machine only when you have a full load of clothing to wash. 

The Lowe’s “Creative Ideas for Home and Garden Magazine” provides these other smart changes that you can do in your home that could be a big payoff for the environment and your budget:

Select a shower head that features water-saving settings and gives the feelings of a high-flow shower with less water.

Install Dimmer Light Swithches in your home. Dimming your lights reduces the amount of energy needed and preserves the light bulb life.  If you dim them by only 25% you’ll save 20% electricity and your bulbs will last up to four years.

So get started using some of these energy saving ideas. You won’t regret it.