Making your home more energy efficient will save you money every month on your energy bills. The less energy you use, the less you pay. In addition, you are helping the environment because less energy needs to be produced. There are many things you can do to save energy, some simple and inexpensive, some more complicated and expensive.

One of the easiest things you can do is to replace your standard light bulbs with longer lasting more enegry efficient power compact bulbs. This will help you save on average $70 per year.

It sounds simple, but make sure that when you leave the room you turn off the lights. If you are not going to be spending time in a particular room, then it makes no sense to leave the lights on, and running up your bills.

Check and replace the weather stripping on your windows and doors. This is a simple and inexpensive way to help reduce energy costs. It can help all year around for both heating and air conditioning

Upgrading all your appliances to today's more energy efficient models will save you on your electric bills. Examples of common appliances that can drain your pocket book are:

- Dishwasher
- Clothes Washer
- Dryer

Wood-burning fireplaces are notorious for increasing energy bills. Even with the flue closed, if the fireplace is not adequately sealed then your heating dollars are probably floating up and out of the chimney.

Purchasing and having energy efficient windows installed can help save money and make your home more energy efficient. There are a lot of different windows available on the market so make sure that you shop around for a good price, get quotes from multiple companies for not only the price of the windows but for the installation too, and do a little research on the quality and efficiency of the windows you are looking to buy. You will be surprised at how much the quotes from multiple companies for the same product will range.

Install a thermostat with a timer function. Set the thermostat to lower the temperature during the day when no one is home, and raising the temperature to a comfortable level 30 minutes before you get home is a sound way to save on energy costs.