We’re all a bit concerned with the rising prices of…well, just about everything. Energy, a growing concern for the coming summer months, can really suck the life out of your checkbook.

For a little good news, SmartMoney.com has put together a list of eight things you can do to reduce your energy bill not only for the summer, but a few that will work year round!

Here is a condensed version of their list:

1. Upgrade Your Thermostat

These handy little devices allow you to cool your home at different temperatures at specific times.

Installing a programmable thermostat shouldn’t set you back more than $100 to $150—and the energy savings can be substantial. According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), you could cut your heating and cooling bills by 10% annually just by turning your thermostat back 10% to 15% for 8 hours a day.

2. Go Green

Ok—this will require a bit of effort on your part, but the returns are twofold: Planting just three shady trees around your house not only can whack $100 to $250 off your annual heating and cooling costs, according to the DOE, but will most likely make your yard more attractive, to boot.

3. Keep It Clean

Keeping your air-conditioning unit clean and in peak performance is another big money saver. To kick the summer off, your AC unit should have a professional tune up (expect to pay somewhere between $90 and $120), says Maria Vargas, an Energy Star spokesperson at the EPA. (Energy Star is a joint program run by the EPA and the DOE that, among other things, deems certain products energy-efficient.) And air-conditioning filters (regardless of whether you have central air or an individual unit) should generally be checked every month or so to see if they need cleaning or replacement. This is something you should be able to do on your own.

Another item to add to your spring cleaning list: Dusting off your refrigerator condenser coils, says Hall-Crawford. This will make the unit run more efficiently.

4. Buy a Better Bulb

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (called CFLs) require 75% less energy than traditional (officially called incandescent) light bulbs, and last up to 10 times longer, according to the ASE. Be sure to look for CFLs with the Energy Star label, since these bulbs won’t have any buzzing or humming problems, promises Energy Star’s Reed.

According to the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), replacing just four well-used 100-watt incandescent bulbs with equivalent 23-watt CFLs will save you $120 to $200 over three years.

5. Join the Fan Club

A ceiling fan can balance out a room’s temperature, allowing you to turn down the AC and still feel cool.

6. Unplug

Even when all of your home electronics are turned off, many continue to suck down energy. The main culprits: televisions, VCRs, DVD players, stereos, phones and microwave ovens. (Generally, anything that has a clock, a remote control or an on/off light falls into this category.) In fact, idle TVs cost U.S. consumers $600 million annually, or $5 per household, according to the EPA. One solution: Plug the items that can truly be turned completely off into a power strip, and then use that as your on/off switch.

7. Fight Leaks

Your pricey, cooled air might be leaking right out of your house. Leaky windows and ducts (which carry the air to the rooms in your home) are two ways that cool air can be lost, making your air conditioner work harder. “We have found that as many as 70% of ducts are installed with leaks,” says Vargas. Having your ducts properly sealed and insulated could save you as much as 10% in energy costs, according to the EPA. So if you think your duct system is faulty, try to have it checked out by an HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) technician. (One way to find one is to visit the North American Technician Excellence web site.)

8. Be a Savvy Shopper

By far the biggest way to save is to invest in energy-efficient appliances. When shopping around, look for the Energy Star label. There are more than 44 product categories that qualify.

Of course, replacing your appliances (particularly the biggies, like a refrigerator or dishwasher) will require an upfront investment. But if you’ve got an old clunker, you could recoup your costs quickly. For example, if your central-air-conditioning unit is more than 10 years old, replacing it with an Energy Star-qualified model could cut your operating costs by 30%.

Hopefully, these tips will help you cut down on your energy bill in the coming months and potentially years!

Don’t worry if you can’t afford to use all of these tips. Making small, gradual changes will add up in the end.

To read the entire article about how to reduce your summer energy bills, click here.

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This entry was posted on Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 3:31 pm and is filed under In the News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.