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Energy Conservation Saves Money on Utilities

Trying to lower your bills on electricity and natural gas? With prices that seem to constantly rise, it's a concern that millions of consumers are facing.

One of the best methods of lowering your utility bills is to find out what all of your options are. If you live in one of the cities that the WhiteFence Index highlights, you can find out what others are paying on utilities in your area. Do you pay more or less than them on electricity? Also, using WhiteFence, you can find the best deals on utilities in your specific area of town.

Fixed rate plans are offered by many electricity providers and might provide the savings that a family needs to make it through periods of times when prices are known to climb, such as the Summer months. With a fixed rate plan, the consumer is guaranteed one rate for a certain period of time, with the security of knowing that you electricity bill will always remain the same during that time.

Likewise, if you happen to live in a deregulated energy market, you have the power to choose your electricity provider. Most residents in the states of Texas, Georgia, New York, Ohio and Michigan have the privilege of participating in a deregulated energy market. That means that as a consumer, you get the benefit of shopping around for your power, instead of getting only one option.

Sometimes lowering your electricity bill is as easy as developing good habits around the home. With the rising costs of energy prices, changing the way we use energy is not only a good practice for the environment, it just happens to save us a few dollars on electricity as well.

Home Energy Conservation Tips

Conserving at home sounds like a large undertaking, but in reality it can be a simple task. Eating, cleaning and pretty much everything else you do all contribute to your energy consumption around the home. Here are some practical tips to help you lower your electricity bills:

  • Get CFL bulbs for your lights! CFLs alone can use up to 75 percent less energy than traditional light bulbs - meaning simply by switching all your light bulbs in your house, you can save both time and money.
  • Look into purchasing a programmable thermostat. This keeps you from having to constantly battle with the thermostat over how warm or cool you want your home to be. Constantly shutting your heating and air conditioning on or off uses great amounts of energy. According to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Web site, installing and using these types of thermostats in your home can help you save as much as 10 percent a year on your heating and cooling bills.
  • Examine your water heater's settings. Many water heaters' factory settings are higher than they need to be. Setting your water heater to 120° F will not only be hot enough to provide comfortable water, but also save you money in the long run. You can visit the EERE Web site for other water heater tips.
  • Be energy conscious in your everyday life! Just remembering to shut off lights as you leave a room is one little thing you can do every day to conserve.

Energy Efficient Appliances at Home

Looking for new appliances? Maybe you should spring for energy efficient home appliances that help lower your monthly bills. ENERGY STAR® is a fantastic venture between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the DOE to help families save literally billions of dollars in annual energy costs. Look for the ENERGY STAR® logo on your home appliances, with all approved appliances following strict energy efficiency standards set by the DOE and EPA. In 2007 alone, people across the country helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions equal to 27 million cars and saved $16 billion with ENERGY STAR® products.

For more information on energy efficient products, home improvement and more:

Home Energy Audit

The savings a professional energy audit can provide are substantial. With the summer months and higher energy costs steadily approaching, an energy audit can greatly improve your home's energy efficiency, and will help to do several things:

  • Pinpoint air and water leaks
  • Check insulation quality
  • Ensure your cooling and heating systems are working efficiently and properly.

A professional auditor will also inspect the structure and foundation, roof, HVAC and mechanicals, plumbing, and interior and exteriors, providing detailed information on areas that are lacking in proper insulation and efficiency standards.

While it costs money to do this, it can save money in the long run. If you decide a professional energy audit is not for you, there are still some simple ways to perform an audit yourself and help reduce your energy waste.

For more information on energy audits: