Top Tips to a Lower Electric Bill

By JC Dyess

With the summer heat coming to the majority of the United States, more and more people wonder what they can do to lower their electric bills. That said, here are the top tips we?ve found. Heating and Cooling

Save money on heating and cooling -As much as 50% of your home's energy costs come from heating and cooling. In the summertime that of course stems from cooling using your air conditioner. You can lower these costs by doing small things like keeping your windows and doors closed while you are using your AC and insulating them to prevent air leakage. You can also save money by changing your air filter, insulating the air ducts and keeping the AC unit in top working condition. Another money saving tip is to install an automatic thermostat, which you can program to turn off in the middle of the night and during the day when nobody needs it running.

Save money on appliances - The amount of appliances we have in our homes can be mind boggling sometimes. They are in every room of our house, and they come in all sizes and types. From major appliances such as your refrigerator, your washer and your dryer to smaller ones like your toaster, coffee maker and blender, you can save costs by purchasing energy saving units. They might cost a bit more upfront, but the savings will pile up from month to month with lower energy costs.

Save money on water heating - Water heating accounts for a large percentage of every home's energy bill. But you don't have to start instituting a 5 minute shower rule to see savings in this area. You can buy an energy efficient water heater which will get the job done while eating up less resources.

Many will be shocked to hear that lighting costs the average homeowner approximately 20% of their electric bill. Sure, your mother always told you to turn off the lights in a vacated room, and that helps tremendously, however you also need to remove the incandescent light bulbs that may still be in your home and replace them with CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) that mostly come in those weird spiral bulbs. Those newer bulbs use 75% less energy than the incandescent bulbs! Startling, but true, and the cost of the new bulbs will easily be made up within 6 months of usage because if you?ll remember they last approximately 10 times longer than an incandescent bulbs. Home Electronics

Various appliances from TVs to even stoves and microwaves use digital displays that are in ?standby? power mode. When purchasing such items make sure of the energy rating that each is given, and opt for those that use less energy even in ?standby? mode! Office Equipment

Save money on office equipment - If you have a lot of office equipment in your home, you can be adding lots of money to your electric bill. Think about it, you have computers, printers, faxes, shredders, scanners and other pieces of energy craving equipment. Buy energy efficient models and turn everything off when it isn't in use.

You don't have to be a genius to lower your monthly electric bills, just follow these easy and straightforward tips.