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Helping Families Save Time and Money!

Unleash your potential savings.

You can save money on your utilities right now. All it takes is a little time, perseverance and know how. Check out these free tips:

1.       Form a goal, and always keep it in mind. Whether your goal is to shave 10% off your water bill or $100 off your gas bill, its important to never lose sight of it. You may need to put a "face" on your goal, something you can see right away, to keep your motivation up. This can be as simple as turning lights off, or lowering the temperature of your house. And when you decide you're serious, go for it!

2.       Turn off lights that aren't needed. For example, is there a lamp in the corner that you turn on all the time, but isn't really needed? Avoid turning it on. If it helps, remove the light bulb or better yet, unplug it.

3.       Do you have a room that always seems to be cold? If it's not used, keep the door to it closed, so you're not heating it unnecessarily. If you use the room, make sure you keep the door open to allow the heated air to circulate through it.

4.       If you're going to be away from your computer for more than 5 minutes, put it in sleep or power save mode. Most modern computer systems have this setting. Although it still uses electricity, it uses far less than if you were to leave it on when not being used.

5.       Turn off your computer monitor when not in use! These units can use as much as 350 Watts of power, or more!

6.       Whenever possible, use the microwave over the oven. It costs less to run the microwave than to heat and oven and cook in it. Use the microwave over the stove as well for the same reason.

7.       Chart your utility usage (gas / water / electricity) as best you can. Make a small chart or use another method. When you get your bill, compare it to what you thought you used. Make adjustments. This is good practice to help you become aware of your utility bills. Then reduce the usage in peak periods. You can choose to do a daily chart, which shows how much you think you use per hour, or weekly chart, etc.

8.       When you do get your bills in, carefully scrutinize them. Watch for peaks. If you feel the bill is in error, contact the utility company immediately. The only person who can detect a billing problem is you! They will not save money for you.

9.       Don't rely on estimates. Always give actual readings, or have the utility company do the readings.

10.    If you get into trouble with a high few bills, or fall behind, consider the budget plan. Most utility companies offer this as a way for people to space out their payments and make it more manageable. Be aware though that this is not a license to use as much gas or water or electricity as you want. You will still have to pay the utility company back for whatever you use.

11.    Weather-proof your home. Install weatherproofing in the areas around doors, windows and other areas where you could potentially lose heat in the winter, or cooler air on the summer.

12.    If you have patio doors, make sure they are well insulated, especially older slider doors. Often times, the felt becomes worn and can leak. If necessary consider weatherproofing the doors by insulating them with plastic. And remember to turn the A/C off if you have the doors open! (That one is more common than you think!)

13.    If you have a fireplace make sure you have a blower. It can spread the warmed air from the fireplace throughout the room. If you want, turn the thermostat down as well, since you'll be by the fire and warm enough. Use caution with fireplaces, though, so that you don't trap or blow poisonous and dangerous Carbon Monoxide into the room!

14.    You typically use a lot of electricity, natural gas, and water during sudden changes of weather. For example, if it is particularly hot for a week, your AC may be on more. Likewise if it is cold, you may use more heat. Keep these periods in mind and try to reduce usage as much as you can.

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