Almost everyone has probably already heard that the first rule of saving money on your electric bill is to turn off the lights. As you leave a room, be sure to flip the switch on the way out. There is no reason to be wasting money to light a room that no one is in. 

It’s easy to want to adjust the thermostat setting every time you feel hot or cold. Doing this causes your unit to run more, trying to adjust to the new temperature. To be as energy efficient as possible, avoid making significant changes to your thermostat setting. Choose a temperature setting that is a good midpoint, then set it and forget it. 

Weatherstripping is a great tool to make sure that the air you are paying to heat or to cool is not escaping outside of your home. It is fairly inexpensive and easy to install. Check around your windows and doors to see if there are any gaps. You may see light coming in around the trim or you may even feel the air on your hand. If you find a place that is not airtight, install a piece of weatherstripping to fill the gap and seal off that space.

Did you know that ceiling fans should rotate in a certain direction based upon what season it is? Most ceiling fans have a switch on the fan box that can be used to change the direction the fan is moving.

To make the most of your energy usage, your fan should rotate counterclockwise in the summer, forcing the room air down onto you, and having a cooling effect. Come winter, be sure to change the fan rotation direction to clockwise. Because heat rises, making this change will help push the heated air back down into the room. To avoid a chill, be sure to run the fan on the lowest setting during those colder months.

If your home has a gas fireplace, then it operates using propane or natural gas. These fireplaces have a standing pilot light, which is a small flame that burns even when the fireplace isn’t being used. This flame stays lit so that when you flip the switch to turn the fireplace on, that flame ignites. Most people only use their fireplace during the winter, therefore a great way to make the most of your energy costs would be to turn off the pilot light during the months it won’t be in use. It is easy to do and it will save you money.

Another easy way to save money is by cleaning out your dryer screen every time you start a new load of laundry in the clothes dryer. When this screen builds up with lint from your clothes, it decreases the efficiency of your dryer, by blocking more of the airflow. Be sure to take the time to clean this, as it will help you avoid having to run the dryer multiple cycles for the same load.

When mother nature provides nice temperatures or a cool breeze, open the windows and take full advantage. Turning off the heat or air will save money and the fresh air will not only bring your home to a pleasant temperature, but it will also be a boost to your health, as fresh air is invigorating. 

If you have windows on the front and back sides of your home, open windows on both sides to create a cross breeze and really take advantage of making the most of the energy savings.  

Dressing for the right temperatures seems easy enough, but can often be overlooked as a way to add money back into the budget. Dressing in layers can be helpful to make sure you maintain your comfort. Instead of turning to the thermostat and cranking up the heat, try putting on a sweater first to see if that will be enough to take the chill off, before using more energy and increasing your electric bill.

Small changes can make a big impact on the amount of money going out to cover your energy costs, over the course of time. Try some of these simple ideas to make the most of your energy usage.