As rising costs continue to hit Americans’ pocketbooks, some common-sense measures can help homeowners save on their energy bill. A good place to start is knowing what your costs are, and also monitoring how much you use those household items that are major energy draws, including:
- Air conditioner
- Stove and oven
- Incandescent lights
- Televisions
- Furnace (during the winter)
The geographical location of the home also has an impact on the energy bill. In a rural area, your house will be isolated, which allows it to be more affected by the environment. In an urban area you are more protected and, if you live in an apartment, you can benefit from the floor above or beneath you.
Tips to help save energy and money include:
- Keep items that draw electricity turned off as long as possible.
- Use automatic settings to turn appliances on and off.
- Install LED lights instead of incandescent.
- Turn the lights off when not using them.
- Use fans to circulate cool air.
- Install and use a programmable thermostat.
- Install insulation or weather-stripping around doors and windows.
By: Brenda Langdon
