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In today’s economy people are looking for ways to save money wherever possible. Energy costs have soared over the past couple of years so it would only make sense to reduce your energy consumption and put some of the savings in your pocket while helping out the planet.

The following energy tips can help you lower your monthly electricity bill.

Air Conditioning and Heating  System

One of the largest uses of residential electricity is your home comfort system. Your air conditioning and heating electric consumption accounts for as much as 50% of your electric bill. So you can see this is a great place to start.

You should understand the impact that your thermostat setting has on your electric bill. How much electricity your air conditioning and heating system uses monthly is a direct result of your desired comfort level. So here are some suggestions for setting your systems thermostat: during the winter months set your thermostat at 68degrees or lower.

During the summer months, you should set the thermostat at 78 degrees or higher. Every degree below 68 (heating) and every degree above 78(cooling) can save you 5% on your air conditioning and heating costs. You can also see significant savings by setting the thermostat up or back during sleeping hours or when the house will be unoccupied.

This can be easily accomplished by installing a programmable thermostat. You just have to set up the program once and forget about it.

Check your HVAC’S system’s filter monthly and clean or replace it if needed. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of your home comfort system, and this can really add up.

If you have not had your Air conditioning and heating system serviced in the last year, I would highly recommend having a professional perform a precision tune up.

Units that are properly maintained run more efficiently and this will also reduce breakdowns. Just as a side note, manufacturers also require your system to be serviced once a year to keep any warranty in place. They know how important maintenance is to your system.

You can reduce the operating time of your heating and cooling system by ensuring that its air distribution system (ductwork) is in good condition. You could lose up to 30% of your systems heating and/or cooling capacity due to leaky or un- insulated ductwork.

You may be heating and cooling your attic or crawlspace and not realize it. If you notice excessive dust when you are operating your system for long periods of time, this may be an indication that your duct work is leaking.

Appliances

When buying a new appliance, look at the energy guide label. This label shows the efficiency of the appliance in comparison to other appliances of the same size. Typically the more energy efficient an appliance is the higher its purchase price but the lower its lifetime operating costs.

Check the thermostat setting on your hot water heater. A good temperature setting that is usually acceptable by most people is a setting of 120 degrees. Heating water temperatures higher only will raise your electric bill.

Your home lighting usually isn’t a large part of your electric bill but you can still save some money by installing fluorescent lighting in areas where lighting is required for extended periods of time. You can use the incandescent bulbs in areas where light is needed infrequently.

If you have an older refrigerator in your garage, eliminate it if possible. It is probably costing you as much as $30-$40 per month, depending on the temperature of your garage. If you can’t part with it, monitor its usage and unplug it when it is not really needed.

These tips can really save you a good amount of money if you add up your savings over a one year period. No need to get overwhelmed, just try implementing one or two of them a month and then enjoy the savings!