Run Your Dishwasher
That's right... run your dishwasher. By running it once a day (or less) you'll use around 17 gallons of hot water, compared to the 10 gallons you'll generally use each time you wash the dishes by hand. Only wash full loads and use the energy-saver setting, which eliminates the dry cycle at a savings of 7.5¢ per load. If you have an electric water heater, use your dishwasher's booster heater. This booster heats the water used in the dishwasher to 140°F, allowing you to set your water heater at an energy-efficient 120°F.

The best way to reduce your utility bill is to concentrate on the biggest energy consumers. Heating and cooling uses more energy than anything else in your home. That's why it's important for you to make sure your heating and cooling systems are in good shape. If your furnace is more than 10 years old, it's likely it's only about 55% efficient. This means you lose 45¢ of every heating dollar you spend. Compare this to a state-of-the-art high-efficiency furnace. Newer high-efficiency natural gas furnaces are up to 96% efficient, so nearly all of the energy goes to heating your home, not to the outside air.

Keeping your home comfortable in the summer can be quite a challenge, especially here in Alabama. During hot summer months, cooling can cost anywhere from 40¢ per hour to 80¢ per hour if you have central air conditioning. This represents a sizable portion of your energy bill, so it makes sense to cool those costs whenever possible. Installing insulation is generally one of the best things you can do to reduce your home's cooling costs. That's because up to 20% of your home's air conditioning can be lost to the great outdoors. If you plan to insulate your home's ceiling, consider a minimum "R value" of 19, with an "R value" of 30 actually being more desirable.

Second place in energy usage will be your hot water heater with refrigerators and freezers coming close behind that. Heating water for bathing, dishwashing and doing laundry accounts for as much as 25% of your power bill. Make sure you have an energy-efficient water heater, and only purchase energy-efficient appliances.

Go to the Quick Tips page for 20 quick and simple tips for saving you money!