We use energy in our homes for many different reasons. However, there are only a few categories into which energy types can be put. For example, in our homes, we tend to use heat and electricity the most. It follows that; reducing the amount of energy we use for our heating and electrical needs can directly affect the money we are spending on our energy bills. Here are some quick steps that will get you started on the basics of making your home energy efficient:

1. Set your home’s thermostat temperature to 60 degrees centigrade or 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This is enough for your daily heating use most of the time. People overlook the fact that if you reduce your thermostat temperature by 1-2 degrees, you hardly notice the difference, yet it saves you heaps of money in the long run. On the other hand, if your thermostat is too high, it makes you waste extra energy – for example, your water will be boiled to a temperature that is higher than what you need, meaning that you will have to mix cold water back into it to achieve the correct temperature. This can waste hundreds of dollars every year.

2. Reducing electricity used in our homes is possibly the most common energy saving strategy, and I’m sure we have all heard of it many times. Yet it remains one of the most effective solutions to electricity drainage in our homes. This can be achieved by switching off lights in rooms you are not using, and also using lights sparingly; taking care not to overuse your lights and also not to have too many of them.

3. We can also reduce more electricity by turning off appliances, such as TVs and computers after use, and NOT leaving them on standby! (See the next list item for more details.) This is not a good enough solution as most appliances use only 40% less energy in standby mode than they do when they are actually on. Turning them off reduces their energy consumption down to 0% without a doubt.

4. TV and computer screens can save energy even while they are turned on. Of course, turning them off is a great solution when you are not using them. But how about when you want to watch something? To save energy while they are turned on, the best ways are to either use LCD screens instead of the regular CRT (Cathode-ray tube) monitors, which use 34% of the energy that CRT monitors use, or you can enable the “Display Blanking” feature on your computer, usually accessible from your desktop settings. This will allow you to set a time after which the monitor automatically turns off, if the computer remains idle for this time. Combining both of these solutions makes a super-powerful energy saving technique that can save you 0 worth of electricity every year!

5. The ways you wash and dry your clothes can also be improved to save your electricity. Studies show that front loading washing machines use far less energy than top loading ones. Research has also confirmed that clothes that are dried on a drying line – for example, in your garden, in pure sunlight – have a much higher level of quality than those dried in your dryer, artificially.

6. Heat escapes through our homes in many ways and preventing this from happening can trim down your energy bills almost instantly. You can reduce the energy your home is allowing to escape by filling in any holes and cracks that you may have in your home walls. A good place to look for holes and cracks is near the edges of doors, windows, and any other product that goes through your walls. You can fix these by patching them up using draft excluders.

7. You can also save heat energy by insulating your hot water pipes. This can save up to a year, but it keeps your water warm and insulated for longer amounts of time so that you won’t have to warm it over and over again.

8. Heat also passes out of your home much faster if your wall’s insulation material is not up to date, or well maintained. Insulation materials are responsible for letting your home’s heat out, and also keeping it in. Make sure that your home wall insulation is new, up to date and well maintained.

These simple steps will surely make a huge difference on your energy bills. However, you must be patient – even though these solutions produce physical effects instantly as they save energy instantly, you may have to wait until your next few bill statements to see how they have affected the money you’re spending for your home energy. Be sure to keep up the good work, and also learn about more and more ways you can save home energy.