Do you dread your electricity bill arriving in your mail box? Well you aren't alone as many people find the increasing costs of electricity hard to keep up with. In this present recession many of us are trying to find ways of saving money and look to areas in out life that we can comfortably cut back on..

Most of us can reduce our electricity bills quite a bit without making huge sacrifices. For example what type of light bulbs are you using in your home? The old style bulb doesn't last very long and burns more electricity. Replace all your old light bulbs with the latest energy saving ones. The old idea that they aren't as bright or take a long time to warm up don't really apply any more. Modern energy saving bulbs are just as bright and don't take very long to warm up. Energy saving light bulbs may be more expensive to buy, but they last a lot longer than old style light bulbs.

The majority of people regularly leave lights and electrical appliances switched on when they aren't in the room, and this uses unnecessary power. Even if you are only going to take a phone call or make yourself a quick snack always turn off the light when you leave the room, It may not sound a big deal but over time it will make a difference to your electricity bill.

A couple of years ago myself and my partner stayed in a holiday cottage in Scotland which had a pay as you go coin operated meter installed. This meant that guests only paid for electricity that they used which is only fair. Using this method of paying for electricity made me think carefully of how many electrical appliances I was using at any one time.

It doesn't matter how many electrical appliances you have in your home, but how you use them. For example you may have more than one television in your home, but if you leave them all continually on standby when not in use you will be wasting a lot of electricity over time and this will show in your bills.

When you use your washing machine make sure that you have a full load and instead of running it on 40 degrees try 30 instead. This small drop in temperature can make a big difference over time and providing your washing isn't very dirty you shouldn't notice any difference. Any stains in clothing can be soaked in a pre wash first to ensure a good result.

When you take a break of more than about 10 minutes from your computer turn it off. Although it may go into standby mode it's still using electricity. If you use a washing up machine make sure just as with your washing machine that it's full before running it. If you live alone or have a very small number of people in your household try washing up by hand instead.

Don't sit in a cold house during the winter months, but try turning the central heating system down by a degree or two. If you feel comfortable and are not shivering keep it on this lower setting! You will save on your heating bills and help reduce carbon emissions. The same goes for air conditioning.

One way of making huge savings on your electricity bill is to install solar panels. Once you have covered the initial cost of installing them you will be getting your electricity for free! Solar power is free, clean and very safe to use. You will also be helping the environment by not contributing to CO2 emissions.