There are plenty of things you can do at home to save on energy. There is really no effort involved at all, just some basic memory skills and the will to make the change. Saving energy is very cost efficient and the little things you can do all add up and equal a big change. Ten ways you can save on energy at home without even trying: 

1. Lighting
   We’ve all heard it before, “Turn that light off when you leave the room!” Just remember to do so can save big bucks per year. Open more shades and blinds in your home during the day. If you like to read or need to for a job, set up in a lighter colored room where light is reflected off walls. Make sure your lamps aren’t around thermostats. It can confuse them to cut off during the winter, and make your air conditioner come on. Dusting your lights will increase output, if you haven’t dusted them regularly; you’ll notice and change and can switch to a lower wattage bulb. If your light fixture has multiple sockets, only hook up one bulb.

2. Laundry
   Always wash your clothes in cold water. Using hot water forces your water heater to cut on. By properly treating your clothes before washed, you can save a lot of money per year by having that heater stay off. If you’re using a dryer, don’t over dry your clothes. It takes a lot of energy to power clothes dryers, leaving your clothes in just 5 minutes longer than needed can really add up over time. And if it’s not raining out, forget the dryer all together. Get out there and hang your clothes on the line if you can.

3. Washing dishes
   If you have a dishwasher, don’t pre-rinse your dishes. Just scrape your plate off. Pre-rinsing dishes wastes over 20 gallons of water per day. The dish detergent if formulated to get your dishes clean. Let the machine handle it.

4. Computers
   Don’t leave your computer and the monitor on, keep them in sleep mode. Doing so only uses 20% of the power. This adds up over the course of a year.

5. Heating
   Inside of an insulated house, you’re not going to freeze to death. You can cut the heat down while you sleep or are out of the house. This slight decrease in energy output can save up to 30% of your heating costs per year.

6. Air conditioning
   This is the same as the heating. Air conditioners use up a lot of energy. When you’re sleeping, you can have them turned off completely and open a window, or at least turn them down quite a bit.

7. Alternate heating and cooling
   Fans or open windows can help to cool your home on hot days. The fresh air may even make you feel better on top of saving money per year. Opening the shades or blinds lets the sunlight in, the Sun is a powerful thing, it can help heat your home.

8. Oven vs. the microwave
   If you invest in some good microwave-safe dishes and containers, you can save a nice chunk of change per year. The microwave only uses 20% of the power that an oven does. Also, using your oven in the winter will help to heat your house. But using your oven in the summer will make your air conditioner have to work harder.

9. Refrigeration
   Make sure you have a proper seal when you close your fridge or freezer door. Also, brush off the coils of your refrigerator. By doing this, the motor doesn’t have to run as long or as often.

10. Entertainment
    Try some family time for a few hours a night. Playing games and just having conversation without the TV, radio, computers, phones (which need constant charging) can save you considerable money per month. Try reading a book sometimes. There’s nothing wrong with a little peace and quiet.