Energy Saving Tips: 13 Ways to Save Money on Power Bills

There are many ways to save money on electricity and power costs. Following are just a few ideas to help cut the cost of your power bill and save money.

Set your water heater to the lowest setting. Turning the water heater to a lower setting keeps the saves money by not having to keep the water as hot, plus it's a safer temperature.

Keep the curtains and drapes closed during the hottest part of the summer, keeping the heat out and the cool in. In the winter, open them during the middle of the day for the opposite effect.

Use the dryer only in the early morning or late at night. For even better savings, use an inexpensive clothing dryer rack to hang laundry on to dry.

Put weather stripping around doors and windows. If you have an attic door, put weather stripping around it.

Close vents in rooms that are not in use. Keep doors shut to rooms that are not in use.

Turning off the stove oven about seven minutes before a dish is done will save money. The heat of the oven will allow the dish to finish cooking.

Use an electric blanket in the winter. The cost of using the electric blanket will be less than running the heater on a higher setting to warm the home

Use the slowcooker or crockpot in the summer months to keep from heating up the home with the stove or oven.

Once a year have a professional to service your air unit or furnace to be sure that it is running its best. A unit that is not properly maintained will use more electricity trying to keep the home cool or warm.

When possible, prepare enough food at one cooking that will last for more than one meal. Freeze part of the meal for another time. Preparing more than enough at one time saves on cooking time and money.

Thaw meals before placing in the oven. This saves having to run the oven as long.

If you use mainly one room, rather than heat the entire house, invest in a small portable heater that can be moved easily. These little heaters are handy and they allow you to heat only the portion of the home that you need.