Need ways how to save energy to lower electric bills? Read below.

Here are the top 25 tips from leading sources on how to save energy and lower your electric bills.

1) Use the cold-water wash cycle on your washing machine. This will help save about $60 a year in water bills.

2) Use programmable thermostats to save up to 10% on heating bills. They are simple to install, and are very cheap to buy. More.

3) Stop pre rinsing dishes. Our tests have found that it is not necessary. You will save up to 6,500 gallons of water per year.

4) Put your PC to hibernate or sleep. You will save $25 to $75 every year on your electric bill by using the hibernating feature or system standby on your computer.

5) Clean the coils underneath or behind your refrigerator with a tapered appliance brush to keep it running energy efficiently.

6) Properly inflate car tires. In our tests of a Toyota Camry, the cars fuel efficiency dropped 1.3 mpg when the tires were deflated by 10 psi.

7) Seal and insulate cracks and gaps in your ducts. That can help reduce energy costs by 30 percent.

8) Plug electronic items into a single power strip so that you can turn them all off at once.

9) Weather-strip old doors and windows. It is the surest way to close the holes and gaps around openings, thereby helping to reduce cooling and heating bills you need to pay by 15 to 30 percent.

10) Do not overload your dryer. Your clothes will take longer to dry, and they will also come out more wrinkled. When the weather is nice, line dry.

11) Use a slow cooker. You will use a lot less electricity than cooking a meal using the oven and/or several burners.

12) Open shades and blinds. Solar heat gain will increase interior temperature significantly in the day. But close those shades and blinds at night to minimize heat loss.

13) See if your utility company offers rebates if you replace old appliances with energy-efficient models. Some states will also hold periodic "tax holidays" for the purchasing of energy-efficient, Energy Star  appliances.

 

 

 

14) Lower water-heater temperature in your water heater to 120 degrees from 130 and also insulate hot-water pipes will help save up to 5 percent off your energy bills.

15) Add insulation. Over 80 percent of older homes are under insulated. Properly sealing and insulating your home can help cut your cooling and heating bills by 10 percent.

16) Lower the temperature a degree or two before any house guests arrive. As many know, a house full of people generates a lot of body heat.

17) Pay for LED lights this holiday season. They last much longer. Our tests have shown that they can help save up to $11 per season.

18) Replace, or at least clean, furnace filters monthly during the heating season. Dirty or clogged filters force the blower to work longer, thereby raising the amount you are paying on your electric bills.

19) Set outdoor lights with timers or sensors so that lights stay off during the day.

20) Install a high-efficiency shower head. It will help lower hot water use by up to 50 percent, and help you save on water bills your are paying.

21) Upgrade to a low-flow toilet and save up to 4,000 gallons per year of water.

 

 

22) Remove or drain a bucket's worth of water from your water heater several times a year to remove unwanted sediment, which can decrease efficiency.

23) Move your thermostat to an inside wall, away from doors and windows, so that wind or drafts don't cause the heating system to turn on unnecessarily.

24) Plant a tree on the southwest and west sides of a house to save on energy bills.

25) Zone heat smartly. For example, a portable heater in a room in your house saves money on electric bills only if you're willing to keep the rest of the house chilly. Also, wood-burning fireplaces can suck more heat from your house than they put back in.

26) You need to call a professional energy auditor. They use  infrared photography or a blower door to pinpoint where your home is leaking energy, and how you can save on electric and heating bills. Some utility companies provide free energy audits; you can also find certified professionals in your area.