In an effort to reduce our monthly bills we often search for ways to reduce our energy consumption and therefore save money on our utility bills. There are a few things to consider when looking at how to reduce your utility costs each month.  We have to start by looking at the resources we consume most in our everyday lives.

Lets start by looking at the “Big 3″.

Category 1 – Water

Category 2 – Natural Gas and/or Oil

Category 3 – Electricity

Water

There are many things that you can do to reduce the amount of water a home uses. You would be surprised at how much some simple changes to your daily routine can accomplish. You can start by only running the dishwasher less often.  Try running the dishwasher every other day instead of everyday. You can cut back on how often & how long you run your sprinkler system. You can take shorter showers and try not to let the faucet run when doing dishes or brushing your teeth, etc.

You can reduce your water consumption by upgrading some appliances or fixtures in your home.  It may take an initial investment, but the return on investment in the long run is much more than the money you are initially investing. You can start by replacing your toilets with more modern models that use the least amount of water possible. You can also replace the shower heads and sink faucets to models that put out less water flow.

If you are so inclined, you can also make some drastic changes like using rain collection barrels on your gutter downspouts. You can then use that water for your gardens and outside plants instead of running your irrigation system. You can even set up a water catchment system that includes a filtration system that can replace your city water supply and provide you with clean water to your entire home.

Nature Gas and/or Oil

Some homes use Natural Gas and/or oil to heat there homes in the winter, cook there food and provide hot water. In some cases the use of Natural Gas and Oil can be eliminated all together, but in most cases you can reduce the use of these resources with some simple changes to your life style.

You can start by properly utilizing your programmable thermostat. Most homes today have these and they are often under utilized. Very simply program it to be a comfortable temperature when you are active in the home and at a lower temperature when you are work, school or sleeping. We recommend that you lower it by at least 4 degrees when you are not home during the day.

You can also lower the temperature setting on your hot water heater. You don’t use scolding hot water all the time and yet most homes have the temperature on the hot water heater set to a very high degree. The problem is your hot water heater must constantly be heated by the gas burner to keep that temperature up. Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater a few degrees and you will find that you use less resources.

The biggest thing you can do to reduce your consumption of Natural Gas and/or oil is to eliminate it all together by investing in a Solar System for your home and converting to electric heat, an electric cooking range and an electric on demand water heater.

Electricity

A homes consumption of electricity can be reduced greatly with some easy solutions. Everyone knows or should know to use fluorescent bulbs in most if not all of there lamps and light fixtures. You should turn off the lights in rooms that are not in use, and if you are using electric heat make sure that your thermostat is programmed to lower the temperature when you are not around. Unplug items from the outlets when not in use. Even though an item is not turned on they are still using electricity.

Purchasing energy efficient appliances is something that you should think about whenever you are in the market for things like, refrigerators, freezers, microwaves, dishwashers and window air conditioners. There are plenty of energy efficient appliances that can greatly reduce your electric bill and save you money.

You can also go “Off the Grid” or even partially supplement your homes electricity needs with your very own Solar Panels that will generate all or most of the electricity needs for you home. In my opinion this is the best and cleanest option available today.

These are but a few ideas that can help you save money on your utility bills. It is up to you to make the change in your everyday lives and choose to consume less natural resources. Start analyzing the items you use everyday and find your own ways to reduce your utility bills each month. I promise you will thank yourself when you get your next utility bill in the mail.