Is your electricity bill too high? Do you want to save money each month? Here are 10 ways you can start saving money immediately. Included with each tip is an estimate of how much you can save.

If you want to save even more money each month, while making your home more comfortable to live in and increasing the value of your home, schedule a home energy assessment with one of our certified, professional auditors today.

1. Set the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees and save up to 10 percent on water heating costs. Setting the thermostat to a lower temperature reduces the heat - i.e. energy - required to keep the water hot. At 120 degrees you shouldn't notice a difference in the heat of your hot water, but you will notice a difference in your electricity bill.
2. Wash and dry only full loads of laundry, and use cold water as much as possible to save two to four percent on your energy costs. You'll also spend less time doing laundry!
3. Change or clean the air filter on your air conditioner each month and save up to five percent on your electricity bill (because your air conditioner won't need to work as hard). You will also reduce the amount of dust and dirt in the air, which improves the quality of the air you breathe, and keeps your house cleaner.
4. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) or LED lights, and save around 75 percent on lighting costs. CFL's last 10 times longer than incandescents. LEDs last 25 times longer.
5. On hot, sunny summer days, keep blinds shut on south- and west-facing windows, and save two to four percent on your energy bill. The blinds help to keep the sun's heat from heating up your house, so you use less energy to stay comfortable. On sunny winter days, open your curtains and blinds to let the sunshine in to warm up your house.
6. Keep doors and vents shut in rooms that aren't being used, and save up to three percent on heating or cooling costs depending on the square footage of your home. Why spend money heating rooms that aren't being used?
7. Caulk and weather-strip around windows and doors to save one to four percent on your energy bill. Air seeping through the cracks requires more air conditioning (and energy, and money) to keep the house comfortable.
8. During hot weather, set your thermostat at 78 degrees or higher when you're home, and at 85 degrees when you're away. You'll save one to two percent per degree. A ceiling fan makes the room feel around four degrees cooler, and costs much less to operate than air conditioning.
9. Use your microwave oven instead of your conventional oven and save up to 50 percent on cooking costs. Microwaves are much more energy efficient than traditional ovens, which use a lot of energy to heat up and to stay hot. And a lot of heat is wasted in heating the oven itself. In the summer, traditional ovens heat up the house, making the air conditioner work harder.
10. Turn off lights and electric machines (TV's, computers, radios, stereos, video games, VCR's, and DVD players) when you leave a room. Unplug these machines before you leave on a trip, because they consume electricity even when they're turned off.

To find out how you can save even more money on your energy bills, schedule a home energy assessment today!

Home Energy Problems & Solutions:

• Reduce High Energy Bills Energy Efficiency, Home Improvement Tools
• Drafty Rooms Air sealing, Heating and Cooling Contractor
• Peeling Paint Control moisture, Building Science Specialist
• Mold, Mildew or Musty Odors Reducing Indoor Humidity
• Dust Sealing air leaks, Change Filters
• Hot or Cold Rooms Room over a garage, ENERGY STAR ceiling fans
• Damp Basement Stop water leaks, Ventilation Fans
• Moisture on Windows Control Moisture, ENERGY STAR Labeled Windows
• Dry Indoor Air in Winter Home Sealing, Diagnostic Equipment
• Cold Floors in Winter Basement floor, Floor over a crawlspace
• Ice Dams Roofing Contractor, Diagnostic Equipment