How To Lower Your Gas Bill In 10 Easy Steps

List below are some tips on helping you lower your gas bills and allowing your family to be more energy efficient:

1. You can save as much as 10% a year on your utility bill by simply turning your thermostat up during heating season or down during cooling season, or off when you leave home for more than two hours.
2. Provide solar screens for east and west windows. Sunny windows can account for 10% to 25% of your cooling bill by making your air conditioner work two to three times harder.
3. If buying a new heating and air conditioning system, make sure it is sized properly. An air conditioner that's too large for your home can use more energy than necessary to cool your home. A properly sized system can save you $600 a year in heating and cooling.
4. Weatherization and caulking such things as windows and doors can save over 30% of cooling and heating cost
5. Insulate your water heater to save energy and money. For every 10 degrees Fahrenheit you lower the temperature setting, you can reduce your bill 3% to 5%.
6. Don't use the "rinse hold" on your dishwasher for just a few soiled dishes. It uses 3 to 7 gallons of hot water each time you use it. Save energy, water and money.
7. Let your dishes air dry. If you don't have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will air dry.
8. About 80% to 85% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. There are two ways to reduce the amount of energy used for washing clothes-use less water and use cooler water. Wash clothes in cold water only. Your clothes will be just as clean as using warm or hot water and you'll save money by not heating water to wash clothes. Save energy, water and money.
9. Check door seals on refrigerators and freezers. Place a dollar bill in the door as you close - if it does not hold firmly, the seal is worn and needs to be replaced. A refrigerator door that does not close tightly will increase heat gain and cause the refrigerator to run more.
10. Match pan size to element size when cooking. For small pans, use a small burner and for large pans use a large burner. Using the wrong sized element will cause you to use more energy to cook than when the pan size fits the element size.