We're continuing our series from Yahoo on "Good, Better, and Best Money Saving Ideas". Again, the ground rules:
We asked experts to provide a simple tip that will easily save money (good), another tip that might take a little more time or effort but which will save more money (better), and a more extreme tip that will help readers save the most -- but which would require the most thought or effort (best).
Here is what Yahoo names as good, better, and best ideas when it comes to saving on utilities:
Good: Keep the thermostat set a little lower in winter or a little higher in summer than usual. It won't take long for you to get accustomed to the slight temperature change, and even a few degrees' difference can mean money in the bank.
Better: Ask your energy company if it offers time-of-day rates. By using less energy during peak hours, you can pay less on your utility bill. Kay says her electric company installs devices on appliances such as air conditioners that will switch off the unit during high-demand times. By agreeing to have her air-conditioning unit switched off if necessary, Kay gets a rebate of $50 per month on her utility bill. "I've never noticed a difference," she says.
Best: Go through a complete homeowner's checklist to make sure your home is running at optimal utility efficiency, recommends Kay. This means changing all filters regularly, ensuring you have the right amount of insulation and caulking your windows.
We do many of these, but need to do more. In particular, we need to have an energy audit to see where we can save even more on our utilities. I suspect we have lots of opportunities, especially around our drafty windows.
Click here to read Good, Better, Best Money-Saving Ideas: Appliances.
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