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Many of us have become aware of the need to save electricity in our homes. But, with issues like job safety, health care, children education and housing values on our plate, we honestly do not have a great attention span for the problem. Be practical when thinking of any energy monitoring or energy management solution. Most people will do better with one that gets installed and just works.

In practice there are not many things you can do to reduce the amount of energy you consume without seriously changing the quality of your lifestyle. But the following list of simple steps will save between 15% and 35% of the electricity bill for an average family. Some of us are prepared to significantly alter our lifestyle to save energy, but I think this is missing the point. If this was needed why did we invent all these electrical lifestyle comforts in the first place?

First; Do a DIY home energy audit. Walk through your home and list all the "things" that use electricity. Organize them into categories; lights, appliances, home electronics, heating etc. Identify the major energy users in your home and do your research on them first. Get a copy of you last months electricity bill and understand how you are being billed.

Second; Become an energy expert - just kidding - learn the basics, it is not difficult! Enter each category of "thing" you found that uses energy into the NESH search box. Read the articles returned. NESH will help you find information you can depend on for unbiased accuracy. If you have any questions use the Contact us form above and ask.

Third; Eliminate obvious energy waste. This means establishing a habit of turning things down (fridge) and off when not being used. Start with the biggest energy users. You can install a home energy display as a tool to increase you awareness if you need to. I do not have one! Do not be deceived about vampire power. A regular switched extension cord is all you need for appliances you really do want to disconnect. Check any really old appliances, if there is any excess standby power it will be with these.

Fourth; Think about new technologies that offer the same lifestyle, yet require less electricity to deliver it. I encourage you to read up on CFL and LED lighting, and see where you can practically replace your incandescent bulbs with new bulbs. When you buy a new appliance remember to include electricity in your selection criteria.

Fifth; The best way to save energy on heating and cooling is by installing a smart thermostat and connecting it to one of the Home Energy Saving Devices included in our directory. If this is outside your budget, lower the temperature at night to the minimum level you are comfortable, and the opposite in summer. Make sure you have no obvious drafts and places the hot/cold air can escape. Consider calling in an expert if this is a major cost for you.

So what else can we do after turning things off, replacing the bulbs, and optimizing our heating/cooling bill that do not require serious lifestyle changes or home improvements? The answer is often, not much at all!

If you are planning any home improvements. This is a good time to consider reviewing you home insulation.

May I warn all readers of the energy saving scams abounding right now. The energy saving for consumers correcting their home power factor is negligible. Sadly, there seems to be no end to the energy scams that are being presented around this.

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