Its ok thinking about saving energy, which will of course ultimately save the planet and best of all save you money, oh yes, they never tell mention the fact that you will be saving some hard earned cash just by making some minor changes to your home life style. Best of all it need not be that hard, it is possible to make saving without hardly noticing it.

But to get some really great ideas, check out Flex Your Power, now they really do know their stuff, like these tips:

No Cost

Check the settings on the room air conditioner. Make sure the “fresh air” vent on the air conditioner is closed so you are not cooling outside air.

Close drapes, blinds and shades to keep sun’s rays out of the home during the warmer months.

Close drapes, blinds and shades to help retain heat at night or during unoccupied periods.

In the winter, reverse your ceiling fan motor so that the blades push air up toward the ceiling, where hot air normally rises. The fan will drive the warm air back down around the edges of the room, which can result in more even heating.

Better heat circulation will help combat the problem of sweating windows that some homes experience in the wintertime because of condensation on the glass.

Set the temperature lower in the winter when your home is unoccupied. Use a programmable thermostat to automatically lower and raise the temperature according to your settings.

Set the thermostat as low as comfortably possible in the winter. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall heating bill will be.

Low Cost

Clean furnace filters monthly. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy use. Keep the furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted to save up to 5% of heating costs.

Install an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat away from natural cool and hot spots. An ENERGY STAR thermostat can save as much as $115 per year, provide more flexibility than standard models and perform one or more of the following functions: Save and repeat multiple daily settings, which you can change when needed without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program; store four or more temperature settings a day; and adjust heating or air conditioning turn-on times as the outside temperature changes.

Remove and clean room air conditioner filters monthly. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of the air conditioner.

For more information go to Flex Your Power.