Tip: Weatherstrip Doors and Windows

Properly caulking and weatherstripping your doors and windows can reduce heating bills by 15%, one of the most cost-effective energy saving tips there is.

Tip: Add Storm Windows & Doors

Adding storm windows and doors can reduce your winter heat loss by 1/5. Sure, it's an expensive investment, but if your heating bill is more than $500 a month this winter, saving $100 a month could go a long way toward paying for storm windows.

Tip: Ditch Your Laser Printer

If practical, use an inkjet printer instead of a laser printer because it uses 1/3 as much power. (And if you're not actually printing, turn it off to save even more power.)

Tip: Ditch Your Desktop Computer

If practical, use a laptop computer instead of a desktop computer. It uses 1/5 as much power. (And you can take it with you!)

August 2007 Utility Bill

Ouch!

My utility bills jumped $175 over last month! Yes, August was hot, with 646 heating degree days (HDD), but that's wasn't all, folks! My cost of electricity hit an all-time high, at 10-and-one-half cents per kilowatt-hour, my oldest daughter —who loves long, hot showers — moved home for a month between apartment leases, and my cost for natural gas is up $1.32 per therm over the long-term average. We used one-and-one-half megawatts more electricity in August then we did in July.

August 2007 Data

Electricity, in kWh	Cost / Unit	Gas, in Therms	Cost / Unit	Water, in CCF	Cost / Unit
3,514	$.105	6	$2.62	64	$1.44

Tip: Ditch Your CRT Monitor

Use an new, sleek, modern LCD monitor with your computer instead of an old, clunky, inefficient CRT monitor because it uses 1/3 as much power. (And looks much cooler!)

Tip: Invest in Energy Efficiency

It always pays to invest in energy efficiency. Most investments pay for themselves within a few years, some pay for themselves in just months — and some energy saving tips pay for themselves immediately. When evaluating returns on investment, remember to consider the increase in the value of your home when it comes time to sell it.

Tip: Ditch Your Screen Saver

There is a common misconception that screen savers reduce energy use by monitors — they do not. A better energy-saving strategy is to set up the computer to automatically go to sleep.