Are Your Energy Bills Heating You Up?

Are the high energy bills getting you down this summer? With the current heat wave everyone is heating up when they open their energy bills. Here are a few inexpensive and often free tips that may help you get that bill under control.

1. Keep the thermostat as high as you are comfortable with; not as low as you like.

2. Replace the filters often.

3. Keep your air registers clear and clean, making sure they are not blocked by furniture, carpeting, drapes and dust.

4. Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes.

5. If you are not going back into a room for a while turn off the ceiling fan.

6. Keep draperies and shades on the south and west facing windows closed to block the summer sun and maintain a constant temperature.

7. Take shorter showers. This saves on both water usage and water heating cost.

8. Wash clothes in cold water.

9. Check and replace all worn weather seals under doors and windows.

10. Turn off the TV and lights when you are not in the room. This also goes for computers and gaming systems. If you have cable, don't forget to turn the TV off, not just the cable box.

11. Replace all your incandescent lights with the new energy efficient bulbs.

12. Cook outdoors instead of using the oven whenever practical.

There are many more ways you can reduce your energy usage, just take a survey of your home and look for waste. You will be surprised with what you find. With a few quick fixes you can have a positive affect on your energy bill and the environment.

Try these tips and see if they help stop your energy bill from heating you up.

Larry Gray. I was born and grew up in Eastern North Carolina in the small rural town of Aurora. After marrying my high school sweetheart I moved to Lakeland, Florida where I spent my adult years raising a beautiful family and working in the Citrus Industry, selling real estate ( http://larrygraysells.com ) and being a writer wannabe ( http://growingupinauroranc.blogspot.com/ ).

Come join me on this great adventure, remembering the past and building the future.