Switch to a demand-only hot water heater. The traditional hot water tank heater requires ongoing power to keep water hot so it's available whenever you want it. The problem is that you're always paying for that hot water even when you're not using it. The tankless variety uses power only when you're using hot water. With the federal tax credit now available and rebates offered by a number of local utiity companies, you should be able to reduce the cost of the tankless by 35-40% plus your ongoing expenses will be less. What's more, the prospective life of the unit is about double that of the tanks.

I like the ole' saying stay in or out!

In some cases high traffic can affect the way your cooling/heating system reacts to tempertature changes in your home.

If you have kids this is an important key to maintaining your engery bill each and every month.

Make sure that your house is not a high traffic area.

There is always a way to save more on your utility bills! Here are some additional tips to consider:

1) Many states have deregulated electricity - but most citizens aren't even aware of it! Your electric bill has 2 components: generation and delivery. In many states you can choose the GENERATOR of electricity. I saved over 2cents per kilowatt hour by switching generators. Average usage for our home is 700kWh per month...we saved $14/month without doing a thing! No fee to sign up/cancel. My bill still arrives from the same company as before (DELIVERY is the same co). If there is a blackout, you still call the same company to report it. It is transparent to the consumer. You can call your state's Dept of Public Utility Control to find out whether this is an option in your state, as well as get a list of certified electric generators.

2) If you have an extra fridge or freezer in a basement/garage, decide whether it's worth it. Maybe you save money on meat buying on sale and freezing, but running a fridge costs about $20/month in electricity.

3) In addition to low flow shower heads (mentioned above), you can buy and easily install low flow aerators on all sink faucets. Most save about a gallon/minute.

4) Make sure to vacuum out/clean the front vent on your refrigerator every few months. It gets clogged with dust/dirt and makes your appliance run harder to pull in clean air.

5) If you have radiators for heat, wet dust the radiators before each winter. The accumulated dust (and there will be lots of it!) acts as a light insulation barrier, reducing effectiveness.

6). Caulk! Caulk! Caulk! Your windows may be fine, but there may be gaps or unsealed seams between the perimeter of the window and the wood frame around it. Pipes coming in under sinks often have extra space leaving gaps for air flow. Take a careful look around the house for other spots where air can leak through.

7) Don't leave small electronics like cell-phones plugged in when not in use or overnight. Most cell phones will charge in less than an hour and the screen will tell you it's done.

8) During the summer, leave shades down on windows during the few hours they have direct sunlight hitting. It will keep your house cooler and require less A/C to keep it that way.

Happy Saving!

www.energy.gov, is a great resource for information that may
help you in your research.

http://www.filife.com/stories/build-green-and-save

Here's an article for you,
more to come,

Brian B

Once we had a contractor correctly weather-strip all of our doors and windows, we saw a significant savings in our monthly energy bill. Also, if you have an attic, Lowes.com carries an ingenius product made by Owens Corning called the Attic Stairway Insulator: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=296079-278-AS1&lpage=none

Check for drafts. Cold air could be coming in on the lower floors, and hot air could be escaping on the upper floors. Use the candle or a lighter to check for drafts around door frames, window frames, inside closets, etc...

I did this last winter and a quick inspection revealed cold air coming in through both doors, and one of the wndows and hot air was escaping into the attic through a cracked plaster wall in one of the closets upstairs.

Freia, the article Brian just linked to is a great one, and for some short-term solutions to go along with the other great advice in this thread, you can find cleaning ideas here: http://www.filife.com/guides/green-cleaners-actually-work-and-they-are-cheap.

In the winter turn the thermostat down (we keep ours between 60 and 62) and in the summer turn it up (we keep ours at 78 to 80) - will absolutely save the most money. If you have oil heat, invest $150 to $200 in one of these: http://www.becketthm.com/ - saves us 20% a year on oil - the oil company hates us for installing it.

When you go on vacation in winter, turn the thermostat down an additional 10 to 15 degrees, in the summer turn it off. Similarly for the water heater when going on vacation - in winter, keep it low around 50 degrees, in summer turn it off. In general, we keep our water heater at 110 degrees - well below the 160 preset.

Mark gives some good hints above. However the CFL light bulbs are the biggest scam being put over on the public by the government and others pushing them. In complete contrast to claims of "10 year lifespan" they are no better than the old filament bulbs - in fact, the life may even be worse. We were early adopters of CFLs and our experience is they last 1 to 2 years at most. We still have old filament bulbs installed well before them that are still going strong when the CFLs are dying. Unless you buy them when Home Depot or other places have them on sale (pay no more than 50 cents/bulb) stay away from them. Everyone knows the light they give off is not as good as filament bulbs, they are more expensive, and if you only keep the lights on when you are actually in a room, the overall savings is not very significant at all.

I just replaced the basement windows in my home (built 1928) and added more insulation in the exterior walls and attic. Also I reduced thermostat...I'm hoping to save $50 a month atleast!

I have tried a few things. I replaced all my light bulbs with halogens, but I hated the light so took them out. I have settled with keeping my AC at 74 in the summer being diligent with turning lights off.