How to monitor your energy use and save money

1. Plant some trees! Leafy trees on the sunny side of your house serve two purposes: a) they look good; and b) their leaves can create shade in the summer that keeps your house cool, and they drop leaves in the winter which allows sunshine to give your house a little extra heat.

2. Turn off those lights! If you're leaving the room, turn the lights off, especially if you won't be back for a while. If you're getting enough sunshine to see well, you can just keep the lights off.

3. Dress the part. We never want to be too cold, but if the house is only a little cool, try wearing a sweater before you turn on the heater.

4. No need to overheat the food. Ovens stay hot for a while after they're turned off, so if you turn them off a short time before the food is done, the cooking will still finish without keeping the oven on.

5. Knowing your appliances. A fridge that's too full won't work as well, using more energy, while a freezer that's not full enough will do the same.

5. A few degrees here and there... Turning your thermostat up a few degrees in the summer and down in the winter will save energy. Don't freeze yourself, we're talking a few degrees. You'll save energy even if you only do this at night or when you're out of the house.

6. The water heater. Turn it off when you're on vacation. There's no need to heat water for Bob the Invisible Ghost. Tankless water heaters can also reduce your energy use.

7. Avoid too many extras. An extra refrigerator when there is plenty of room in one wastes energy. Unless you're disabled and a bedroom fridge is a great help to you, you most likely don't need a second fridge.

8. Cool it down first. When you've got hot food, let it cool before you put it in the fridge. That way it won't heat up the fridge and require extra energy.

9. Don't overdo it. Only use the temperature settings you need on your fridge and freezer. Check your manufacturer's recommendations.

10. Keep your feet warm in the winter. If your feet are cold, so are you. If you keep your feet warm you may not be tempted to run for the heater as often.

11. Maintenance. Keep up on any maintenance for your appliances, particularly your heating and air. Keeping clean filters and smooth running appliances will keep them as energy efficient as possible.

12. The dishwasher. If you feel you need to use a dishwasher, only run it when you have a full load. Use energy saving features if your washer has them.

13. A little over a lot. Directing light to the area where it is needed instead of lighting a large space will save energy.

14. Air dry. Letting your dishes air dry instead of using the dishwasher's drying system saves energy.

15. Rarely used lights. If you need a light on at night, use a low watt bulb or use a smaller nightlight.

16. Washing clothes. If you can, wash your clothes in cold water. Most of a washing machine's energy goes into heating water.

17. Outside lighting. If you have lights outside, motion sensors can keep them off until they're needed, saving a lot of energy.

18. Compact florescents. Using compact fluorescent bulbs will use less energy than regular light bulbs. Well made ones also last a lot longer.

19. Ceiling fans. Using ceiling fans when you can keeps you from using the air conditioner so much.

20. Unplug it. If you're not using an appliance, unplug it. They are always draining some amount of energy, so unplugging them negates that drain.

21. Monitors and TV screens. LCD screens tend to use a lot less energy than plasma or CRT screens.

22. Screen brightness. Lowering the brightness level on monitors and televisions can save energy.

23. Power strips. Using a power strip can help you save energy. Just plug your entertainment center or computer components in and switch off the power strip when you're not using those components. One switch is a lot easier than unplugging 20 devices.

24. Check seals. If your doors (including refrigerator doors) are not properly sealed, energy could be literally leaking right out of your house. You may only need some cheap weather stripping in many cases.

25. The drier. If you can, using a clothesline is the best way to avoid over using the drier. If that's not practical, try and dry loads one after the other. This lets you use the heat that is already built up in the drier.

That's a quick top 25. You can find some other tips on our Living Green page.