Lowering energy bills is easy with a few new habits

07:03 PM CDT on Thursday, October 13, 2005

From 11 News Staff Reports

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Have you checked your mailbox for this month's electric bill? Chances are it's gone way up.

There are easy things you can do around your home to keep the inside cool.

Adding insulation in the attic, walls, floors and crawlspace will cut your electric bill by one-third. That's a good thing to know since only 20 percent of homes built before 1980 are well insulated.

To test for leaks, hold a lit incense stick next to one of the following locations: Dropped ceilings, recessed light, attic entrance, air ducts, window frames, electrical outlets and switches, and plumbing and utility access. If you do have a leak the smoke stream will travel horizontally. Use caulking and sealant to fix that problem.

Running your pool pump for only eight hours a day instead of 12 will save you about $30 per month.

Just three trees, properly placed around the yard, can save you between $100 and $250 each year.

Lighting accounts for nearly 20 percent of electricity costs, so turn off the lights when not in use. One light with a 60-watt bulb costs about $7 a month.

Energy Star qualified bulbs use one-third the energy of traditional bulbs and last up to 10 times as longer, saving up to $25 over the bulb’s lifetime.

Use a ceiling fan only when the room is occupied and save nearly $10 a month.

Leaving a computer on when not in use can cost up to $15 a month, while watching five hours of TV a day can cost $2.25 a month.

Raising the thermostat to 78 degrees when it is hot and replace dirty air filters. Every degree below 78 and a dirty air filter can inflate an electricity bill by nine percent.

Waiting to run a dishwasher, dryer and washer when it is full will save money on both the electricity and water bill.