How to reduce your electric bill!

Here's some easy tips on reducing your electric bill!

Things You'll Need

• Energy saver light bulbs
• Blankets
• Perseverance

Instructions

1. Make sure your house is properly insulated. Any doors or windows letting air in or out is driving up your electric bill! In the winter consider taping plastic over windows that are single glazed and letting too much heat out.

2. Set your thermostat between 60 and 65 during the winter and keep it there! You can set it lower when you go out. Why heat an empty house? In the summer try setting it higher, around 80 or 85. And invest in ceiling fans...they help cool in summer and pull warm air down to the ground in winter.

3. Energy saver light bulbs cost a bit more initially but use way less energy, thus reducing your electric bill, especially if you have family members that forget to turn lights off!

4. Add a layer! Or take it all off! Common sense...if you are cold, put on another layer of clothes first. Or, snuggle under some warm blankets with someone you love! Don't just rush to turn up the heat! And in the summer wear a little less....

5. Unplug anything you are not using. Even tvs, dvd players, computers left in standby mode are silently using electricity! If you are at home all the time, maybe staying at home with kids, have certain times during the day that the tv stays off. Little cutbacks like this really add up.

6. Wash your laundry with cold water. It takes extra electricity to heat the water in a hot wash.

Tips & Warnings

• Get creative! Find ways to reduce your electricity usage and encourage your family to do the same!

• Don't go overboard...if you are freezing to death just to save money on the electric bill it's probably not worth it! A stay in hospital for pneumonia outweighs the savings!