If you’re like many homeowners, you receive a monthly reminder of the rising costs of energy with the arrival of your electric bill. While you may be tempted to start researching solar panels, saving electricity does not necessarily require drastic measures. You can reduce your household’s electricity needs by following these simple tips:

1. Unplug appliances when they’re not in use. Many appliances will draw a small amount of current on a constant basis, even if the home appliance is not actually turned on and in use. Over time, this small but constant use of electricity leads to waste and higher electric bills. 

2. Reduce electricity usage at peak times. This period is during the daytime. Utility companies take advantage of this by charging customers a higher rate during peak hours. Reduce electricity bill expenses at home by limiting peak usage. Run large home appliances like the clothes washer, clothes dryer, and dishwasher during off-peak electricity usage times, including late at night or very early in the morning.

3. Use natural, passive methods to heat and cool the house. In the winter, save on home heating costs by opening the blinds or curtains on windows that receive sunlight. This will result in passive heating of the home. In the summer, reduce costs to cool the home by closing blinds and curtains on the sunny side of the house, and opening the windows at night.

4. Turn off lights when leaving a room. In many cases, a person will leave the lights on in a room with the intention of returning a few minutes later, but it’s common for the person to get sidetracked. This means that the lights are left on in an unoccupied room, sometimes for hours at a time – a waste of electricity and money.

5. Have an HVAC inspection. A professional technician can ensure that your home’s furnace, air-conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) system is functioning at peak efficiency. The amount of energy an HVAC tune-up saves varies depending on the system.

6. Install and program your digital thermostat for energy efficiency when you’re not at home. Adjusting the temperature by 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit when you are not around can save you up to 10 percent annually on your energy bills.

7. Replace old appliances. Large household appliances like clothes dryers and refrigerators are huge energy drains. Replace older, inefficient models with ones that carry the Energy Star seal of approval. Energy Star is a federal program that rates appliances on their efficiency so that consumers can make smart choices.

8. Switch out incandescent light bulbs for CFLs. Compact fluorescents use 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last much longer.

9. Give your water heater a makeover. Set your hot water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit and wrap it with an insulating blanket. Lowering the temperature and insulating your water heater can result in energy savings of up to 15 percent annually.