A single light doesn't use a whole lot of energy. But when you add up all the lights in your home, and think about how long they are usually on during the month, it can really add up. In fact, lighting is about 12% of your monthly bill. Order Online.

Let The Sun Shine In -- Why use the lights when you can use the sun? Open blinds and curtains during the day to take advantage of nature's light.

Dim The Lights -- Consider purchasing solid-state dimmer switches. They can increase bulb life while reducing electric consumption and cost. But don't use them with compact fluorescent bulbs because they're not compatible. Replace Incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Compared to regular light bulbs, compact fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy and last ten times longer.

Motion Sensors Make Sense -- Are you tired of asking everyone to turn off the lights when they leave the room? If so, try replacing light switches with motion or occupancy sensors. These make the lights go on or off when someone enters or leaves the room. The garage is the perfect place for one. They're also good for exterior lighting. Your lights will only come on when motion is detected.

Let Timers Take On The Task -- If you forget to turn off lights, think about buying a timer. It turns lights on and off automatically, and helps your day-to-day home security, too. Best of all, you can set it and forget it.

Save Watts Wherever You Can -- Use watt-saving bulbs in incandescent and fluorescent fixtures. They give off the same amount of light as regular bulbs, but use 10% less energy. Just remember, the higher the wattage, the more it costs to have your lights on.

Try Photocells -- Photocells automatically turn on your lights when it gets dark. Then, when it's bright enough, the photocell turns the lights off. They're great for outdoor or security lighting because you don't have to remember to turn them off in the morning. The sunlight will do it for you.

Decorate In Light Colors -- If you plan to redecorate, think about lighter colors. Dark colors absorb light, so you'll use more watts to light the room.

Let The Light Through -- Lamp shades can make a big difference. A lamp with a light colored shade, especially one that's lined in white, will give the best light. Tall, narrow shades or short, dark-colored shades let through less light. You'll probably need to turn on another light to see properly, which means you'll use more electricity.

Keep Them Clean -- Dirty or dusty light bulbs don't put out as much light as clean bulbs. That's because dirt and dust absorb light.

Consider Low Voltage Lighting For The Outdoors -- If you're planning to light up your landscaping, install low voltage lighting whenever possible. A string of six low voltage lights uses about 108 watts, compared to a single 150 watt flood light.

Plan For That Vacation -- If you're going away, you'll probably want to leave some lights on for security reasons. If so, consider buying timers to turn your lights on and off instead of leaving them on 24 hours-a-day. The money you save on lighting could easily pay for the timers.

Heating water is one of your largest annual energy expenses. A water heater can consume approximately 600 kilowatt hours per month. Order Online.

Replace Your Old Water Heater With A High Efficiency Model -- If you are in the market for a new water heater consider buying a high efficiency model. It may cost you a little more to buy, but it costs less to use, so you will save over the life of the unit. Consider replacing your old water heater with a heat pump water heater. It can save you up to 50% on the cost of heating your water. As a side note, be sure to secure your water heater by fastening it to the studs in the wall.

Set The Thermostats Properly -- To operate most efficiently, your water heater should be set between 120°F and 130°F. If you have a dishwasher, you may need to increase the temperature settings to 140°F. Refer to the owner's manual for the proper temperature settings for your dishwasher.

Keep It Warm -- If your water heater is located in an unconditioned space, and does not have a water heater blanket on it, you may want to get one. It can save as much as 9% on your water heating costs. Before you install a blanket check the caution label on your water heater. Some newer models come with adequate insulation levels and may prohibit installing a blanket. Finally, mark the inspection plate locations on the blanket for future access.

Fix Those Drips -- If you have a leaky faucet, you're pouring money down the drain. A slow drip of hot water can waste up to 450 gallons of water a month. Not only are you paying to heat the water, but you are paying for the water, and may be paying for the disposal as well. If you have a domestic well, pumping costs may also be a factor.

Reduce The Flow -- Install high performance shower heads and faucet aerators in your bathrooms and kitchen. They can cut up to 11% of your water use, which will reduce your energy and water bills. Also, consider taking short showers rather than baths. A shower typically uses less hot water than a bath (especially if you limit your showers to five minutes or less). If you just need a shampoo, try using the sink rather than taking a shower. Water efficient devices are usually available at the local hardware stores or from Salem Electric.

Use Cold Water When You Can -- Use cold water instead of hot to wash clothes or rinse dishes. Hot water for dishes uses about 2 kilowatt hours and 5 kilowatt hours for a load of clothes.

Twist The Tap -- Turn the water off while you're brushing your teeth, lathering your hands with soap, or scrubbing dishes.

Run Your Dishwasher -- That's right... run your dishwasher. By running it once a day (or less) you'll use about 17 gallons of hot water each time, compared to the 10 gallons you'll generally use each time you wash the dishes by hand. Only wash full loads and use the energy saving setting, which eliminates the drying cycle at a savings of 6 cents per load. If you have an electric water heater, use your dishwasher's booster heater. This booster heats the water used in the dishwasher to 140°F, allowing you to reduce the temperature of your water heater to 120°F.

If you have a water bed, knowing what it costs to operate can be a real eye opener. It uses from 100 to 150 kilowatt hours a month (depending on whether you make your bed or not). A water bed can easily be one of the largest energy consumers in your home. And if you have two, it could be double trouble. Order Online.

In the winter, your heating system is probably your biggest energy user, accounting for between 35% and 65% of your total monthly bill. Order Online.

Don't Touch It -- Before bedtime, turn down your thermostat for more energy savings. If you don't want to wake up to a cold house, let a programmable thermostat turn the heat up an hour before you wake up. If you have a heat pump, raising the thermostat more than 2-4°F at a time could cause the electric heating strips to come on, significantly increasing your heating costs.

Your food budget doesn't stop at the check-out counter. Here are some suggestions to help you save energy and money when cooking. Order Online.

Don't Pre-Heat If You Don't Have To -- If you're baking breads and cakes, preheating your oven may be necessary. But for most foods (casseroles and broiled items) preheating simply isn't necessary. It's an energy and money waster. Every time you open your oven door you lose approximately 25°F of heat.

Small But Significant -- Smaller meals can be cooked in an electric skillet, broiler or toaster oven. They use half the energy of their full-size electric counterparts, and won't heat up your kitchen.

Use Your Microwave Oven -- Your microwave requires about the same amount of energy per hour to operate as your electric oven. But, since it cooks food so much more quickly, it saves you time, energy and money.

Boil Until Boiling And Not A Minute Longer -- Once water or other liquids reach a state of boiling, they won't get any hotter. If you need to bring something to a boil, turn the burner down or off when it starts to boil.

Think Smart...Plan Your Meals -- A meal like roast chicken, green bean casserole and brownies can all be cooked at the same time because they cook at the same temperature. It is easier on you and your oven too.

Cover It Up -- Covers and lids on your pots and pans trap steam to help cook food faster.

Keep The Heat Inside The Oven -- Every time you open the oven door, you lose about 25 degrees of heat. This means your food will take longer to cook and your oven needs to work that much harder to keep the temperature consistent.

Your washing machine may use up to 10 kilowatt hours per load, and your dryer can use as much as 5 kilowatt hours per load. This means that you could be using 15 kilowatt hours of electricity with every load of laundry. Order Online.

Wash Full Loads -- Over 70% of the cost of washing a load of clothes is in heating the water. With an electric water heater a load of clothes will use about 10 kilowatt hours. Set the water levels appropriately and make every effort to wash full loads.

Consider Energy-Efficient Models -- If you're in the market for a new washing machine, consider purchasing a new horizontal-axis model. The new model uses 1/3 less water than a conventional top loading machine so you can save as much as 6,000 gallons of water per year as well as the costs associated with pumping and heating that water.

Don't Overwork Your Clothes -- Most clothes need only a 10 to 15 minute wash cycle to get clean. Over drying will make them stiff, wrinkled and nearly impossible to iron and they'll wear out faster too. Wash and dry for only as long as necessary.

Dry Full Loads -- A load dried for 30 minutes can use up to 5 kilowatt hours. Since you're going to use that much electricity, you might as well dry a full load.

Use Cold Water As Often As Possible -- Washing in cold water will get most clothes just as clean. Besides, they'll fade less and have fewer wrinkles. You might even save on ironing. Save washing in warm water for whites or hard to clean items. At least consider rinsing in cold water.

Get The Lint Out -- Clean your dryer's lint screen after every use. Besides keeping your clothes looking good, a lint-free dryer works much more efficiently.

Do It For Free -- Use the sun to dry your clothes. It's free, and the only energy it requires is your own energy to hang them on the line.

If you have a swimming pool or spa, you'll have higher than average energy bills. That's because pools and spas cost a significant amount to operate. An electric spa can use approximately 90 kilowatt hours to warm up (from 70°F to 100°F) and almost 5 kilowatt hours per hour to heat thereafter. Add 3 kilowatt hours per hour for the pump motor and another 2 kilowatt hours per hour for the pool cleaner, and costs can add up...especially if you have both. Order Online.

Use The Optimal Temperature Settings -- A sufficient temperature for spas is 102°F or lower. Higher temperatures can be a safety hazard as well as costly to operate. Check on the accuracy of your pool or spa thermostat. An inaccurate thermostat can increase consumption needlessly.

Consider A Timer -- A timer gives you day-to-day, automatic control of your filter and heater reducing operating costs.

Do Not Over Filter -- Filtering is a major cost of owning a pool or spa. The average spa requires a minimum of one hour of filtering a day...just enough to maintain water clarity. An average swimming pool often requires approximately 4 to 5 hours of filtering each day in the summer. Generally, one complete water exchange every 24 hours will provide adequate filtering. If you use a pool maintenance service ask about reducing the hours of filtration. For extra savings, when you replace your filter pump motor consider purchasing an energy-efficient model.

Protect Your Pool Or Spa -- Wind has the same effect on your spa as blowing on hot soup. It will cool it off and increase evaporation. Well-trimmed hedges, trees and shrubs, gazebos and fencing can all provide a nice windbreak.

Invest In A Pool Or Spa Cover -- You can save as much as 90% of your summer pool heating costs by using a solar cover. Not only does it help minimize night time heat loss (up to 5°F), but it will also prevent chemical loss and water evaporation (hundreds of gallons per month). When shopping for a cover, keep these features in mind: durability, price, warranty, transparency of material, insulation values and safety.

Go Solar -- Solar pool heating systems are especially effective during the summer months and can back up a regular pool heater in the spring and the fall. A solar pool heating system can be a significant investment, so make sure the savings have a pay back period of less than or equal to the useful life of the equipment.

Turn Off Those Bubbles -- The device that adds bubbles to your spa uses up to 4 kilowatt hours per hour to operate. Bubbles may be soothing, but they cool down the water, making the heater run longer to keep the water warm.