Energy Tips to Reduce Your Utility Bills

How much of your income is dedicated to keeping your house at the right temperature or running your appliances? As energy prices continue to go up you can expect even more of your hard earned money to go towards paying these bills. While some people haven't devoted a lot of time into looking at different ways to save energy costs, many are now sitting up and taking notice of the rising costs. Fortunately there is something you can do about it!

1. Cut down on drafts

A tube of caulking only costs about $10 and can work wonders on drafty doors and windows. Together with weather stripping and the right insulation you can cut down on at least 5% to 15% of your heating loss.

2. Remember your furnace filter!

This is one of the things that can easily slip your mind unless you have a schedule set up for regular maintenance. The filter should be cleaned once a month and replaced every 3 months. The air vents should also be cleaned once yearly to keep air circulating around the home without any obstructions.

3. Invest in a new thermostat

If you're still using the older style of thermostat you can't set the temperature with any real accuracy. The new programmable thermometers allow you to see and program accurate temperatures so that you can lower the heat or cooling levels at night or when you are at work.  In the summer a programmable thermostat will allow you to reduce your energy bill approximately 2.5% for every degree that you raise it.

4. Use LED light bulbs when possible

These types of bulbs use a lot less energy than regular light bulbs and also last a lot longer. As an added bonus they don't contain any mercury, which is good for the city landfill.

5. Take care of your water heater

Look for an insulation wrap that can be used around your water heater. This will reduce your energy usage on the heater by approximately 8%.

These are just some of the amazing energy tips that you can put to use right now in order to see immediate savings on your utility bills. Every penny counts especially when the cost of fuel continues to creep up slowly but surely.