Your home’s furnace, like any piece of machinery, needs regular maintenance to perform at its best. The most important routine maintenance you can perform on your furnace is changing or cleaning your furnace’s air filters when they get dirty. Not only can clogged or dirty air filters block air flow and cause your furnace to work harder to pump warm air throughout your house, but dirty air that gets past a filter can make its way into the fan section of the furnace and damage components.

Changing or cleaning your filters regularly will help you increase the efficiency and life expectancy of your furnace while helping you cut energy costs.

Types of Furnace Air Filters

There are a wide variety of air filters for gas, oil and electric furnaces. Many furnaces use basic panel filters or washable filters made of fiberglass, but these are the least effective at filtering particles, according to the American Lung Association. Other kinds of filters include pleated filters, high efficiency pleated filters, high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters and electronic air cleaners. Some filters, such as HEPA filters and electronic air cleaners, which use electrical fields to trap particles, do a great job of blocking dirt and germs, but can be a bit pricey. Ultimately, you should use a filter recommended by your furnace’s manufacturer and contact the manufacturer about the details of using other kinds of filters.

Location of Furnace Air Filters

Air filters for home furnaces — gas, oil, and electric — will typically be found along the length of the return duct, in a wall, ceiling, or even in the furnace itself. Sometimes they can be difficult to locate or hidden from view behind other equipment. Check your furnace manufacturer’s documentation for the designated filter location. If you don’t have your documentation, try going to the manufacturers’ website and downloading a copy of the documentation.

Most modern HVAC systems use return air filters right in the return air grill (the grill opening in your living space that sucks air in rather than blows it out) for easy access and maintenance. But if you have a different kind of system and are having a problem locating your furnace’s filter, start at the air handler and work your way back toward the return air grill opening.

Changing and Cleaning Furnace Air Filters

Disposable furnace filters will need to be changed every month or two during the heating season, or more often if you run your furnace a lot, smoke or have pets. For best performance, washable filters should be cleaned every two weeks, or even more frequently, by letting them soak for an hour in a tub or basin filled with a solution of one part water and one part vinegar. Washable filters should be changed out every three to six months, depending on how much you use your furnace or HVAC unit. Other kinds of filters will have their own specific maintenance instructions. Your furnace manufacturer will also likely have air filter maintenance instructions.

Sources

American Lung Association Health House, “Furnace Filters: Tips About Your Furnace Filter.”

Furnace Filter Care, “Where is My Furnace Filter?”

U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “Furnaces and Boilers.”

If you live in Illinois and have electricity delivered to your home by Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), you have the option of choosing to buy your electricity from ComEd or from a retail electricity supplier.

Regardless of whether you buy your power from ComEd or a retail electricity supplier, ComEd will continue to deliver it to your home, take calls about outages and maintain equipment like wires, poles and transformers. That means all you have to do is shop around for the retail electricity supplier that will provide you with the electricity plan, customer service, stability and other features that you’re looking for.

Once you’ve chosen your retail electricity supplier and asked them to switch your service, your switch will be completed in three easy steps:

1. The retail electricity supplier that you’ve chosen will notify ComEd of the change
2. ComEd will contact you by mail to confirm that you want to start buying your electricity from your new retail electricity supplier
3. Once you’ve confirmed your decision with ComEd, the utility and your new retail electricity supplier will work together to seamlessly complete the process; nobody will come to your home to flip a switch and your service won’t be interrupted

You can switch any time; there’s never a deadline. The effective date of your switch will occur on your next meter read date. Your new retail electricity supplier should show up on your bill roughly 18-45 days from the date you signed up with them. The only thing you need to keep in mind is that if you switch from ComEd to a retail electricity supplier and then switch back to ComEd, you might have to buy your electricity from the utility for a 12 month period before you can switch to a retail electricity supplier again.

Good luck shopping for your new retail electricity provider. If you have any more questions, you can get answers to common ComEd switching questions or ask us on Facebook or Twitter.

Sources

Plug In Illinois, “The Switching Process.”

NOTE: In recognition of National Entrepreneurship Week, Spark Energy brings you the following submission from Michael Holthouse - American entrepreneur and founder of one of our key community partners, Prepared 4 Life. We are proud to support Lemonade Day 2012 in Houston and Chicago, and help "spark" dreams within thousands of participating youth.

Who knew that what started as an innocent question from a child asking for a pet turtle would turn into a life changing opportunity for hundreds of thousands of children across the country.

Four years ago when my daughter pulled me out of bed early one Sunday morning to do a lemonade stand, I had no idea what an amazing day was about to unfold. A few cups of lemonade, lots of answered questions and some real world experience, and my daughter had earned enough money to buy her now famous turtle. It was a simple lesson in entrepreneurship that had been passed on to me by my father. Instead of just giving her what she wanted, she learned how to earn it for herself. She did. She won, and I won – not the turtle, but a set of life lessons that have touched both of us. In many ways, she experienced what our great country is all about – daring to dream, making a plan, working the plan and having the guts to go out and be successful. Fulfilling the American Dream.

That one day sitting along Memorial Drive with her inspired what is now known as Lemonade Day. It is a fun and experiential learning process that culminates in a single day where literally tens of thousands of lemonade stands all over a community demonstrate what business is all about. It’s where an entire community shows its support for youth through the simple act of buying a glass of lemonade. Children from every walk of life and geographic location learn what it takes to start a business – to fulfill their own dream. Caring adults and youth learn together using a free backpack filled with materials on how to start their very own business – a lemonade stand. Lemonade Day gives them their first taste as entrepreneurs. It changes the way they see the world forever.

There is the story about the little girl with learning challenges whose dream was to be able to buy something new for her fifth grade graduation. It would be the first new thing she ever had in her life. While afraid she would not succeed, she was encouraged by a school counselor to take a chance ... and she did. Today, she is not only the proud owner of a new pink dress that she bought with her own money, but a little girl whose academic progress has dramatically changed. She has now tasted success for the first time in her life, and she knows how it works. Her future story has changed forever – she is only one of thousands.

Her story is replicated in stand after stand, each of the youth with their own unique experience. In America everyone has the opportunity to become whatever they choose and are willing to work for. Lemonade Day is the spark that ignites a new passion.

Lemonade Day is a chance for parents, mentors, teachers and the entire community to work with youth and help them see a different tomorrow. They help children learn how to approach their business and are given the tools they need to succeed. They also learn how to manage their financial success by spending a little, saving a little, and sharing a little of the money they earn.

Last year, in Houston alone, 54,000 kids registered, and collectively they sold over six million glasses of lemonade. From the proceeds of those stands, children donated a portion to the charities of their choice – that is after repaying their investors, saving some for their future and spending some on themselves. This year, in 40+ cities across America, more than 250,000 youth will participate and learn what business is all about. I can’t wait to see their contribution to society - not only on Lemonade Day, but in their future.

The lemonade stand is an American icon; it is quite often children’s first business. In this challenging time in America we hope to revitalize entrepreneurship using this time honored tradition. It is our goal is to help spread Lemonade Day to hundreds of communities and, on a single day in May of 2013, do one million lemonade stands! Can you imagine what that many new entrepreneurs will mean for our country? Will you help us make this dream come true?

Lemonade stands represent the best of our country’s proud past and bright future. They represent a vehicle to take children to places many only dream about going. Children today need to know they can do it – they need to know they have control – they need to know that they can be successful – they need to know that the hope for the future is in their hands – and stands.

On Lemonade Day, we salute entrepreneurs all across America who had a dream and pursued it. It is America and it represents the hope for our future.

And, to think, it all started with a turtle.

Chicago electric vehicle owners and I-GO Car Sharing members are getting a new solar-powered charging station at the park and ride lot adjacent to the Brown Line Kimball El station.

The electric vehicle charging station, approved by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in December, is the first solar-powered station to be installed on CTA property and is part of an I-GO project to add 18 solar charging stations and 36 electric vehicles to its fleet.

The company’s charging stations have solar canopies that cover four parking spaces and can power two electric vehicles, including one I-GO vehicle and one electric vehicle owned by the general public. Each canopy is topped with 44 solar panels and can produce about 10 kilowatts of electricity. Together, the company’s solar canopies will produce about 200,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, good for about 600,000 miles driven per year.

The Kimball charging station is slightly smaller. It has a solar canopy that covers only two parking spaces for electric cars, but will still be able to serve one I-GO car and one electric vehicle owned by the general public.

I-GO, formed in 2002, now claims some 15,000 members and more than 200 locations in nearly 40 neighborhoods and suburbs throughout the Chicago region. The company’s mission is to create a seamless transfer from public transportation to a pollution-free I-GO all-electric vehicle. According to I-GO, the average member spends about $2,520 per year to share its cars, roughly $5,000 less than what the average American spends to own, operate and maintain a car.

Sources

“CTA Approves Solar-Powered Charging Station for I-GO Electric Vehicles at Kimball Brown Line Stop,” Center for Neighborhood Technology press release, Dec. 14, 2011.

If you live in an area of Illinois that has electricity service provided by Commonwealth Edison Co. (ComEd), you have a choice when it comes to who you buy your power from. Thanks to electricity deregulation, you can choose to buy your power from ComEd or a retail electricity supplier. However, the choice of where you buy electricity (called “supply”) doesn’t affect how it gets to your home (called “delivery”). In other words, ComEd delivers electricity to your home whether you buy it from the utility or a retail electricity supplier.

Regardless of who supplies your power, you probably get your electricity bill from ComEd. Some retail electricity suppliers will send you a bill in place of ComEd, but most retail electricity suppliers “piggyback” on ComEd’s bill and simply list their supply charges instead.

ComEd’s electricity bill contains three main sections of charges: Electricity Supply Services, Delivery Services, and Taxes and Other. Here is some useful information to help you understand the different sections and the various charges that show up on your ComEd residential electricity bill.

1. Electricity Supply Services

The first section of your ComEd residential electricity bill is called Electricity Supply Services. Charges listed in this section have to do with the amount of electricity you use and the cost of transmitting it from the power generators to ComEd for eventual delivery to your home (Charges related to the delivery of electricity from ComEd to individual homes are covered under the Delivery Services section of your bill.)

Electricity Supply Charge — The electricity supply charge is based on the amount of electricity you used during the billing cycle. The electricity supply charge lists the number of kilowatt-hours you used as well as the price you paid for each kilowatt-hour, based either on the electricity price plan you have with your retail electricity supplier or the regulated supply price charged by ComEd.

Transmission Services Charge — All electricity customers pay transmission services charges, regardless of whether electricity is purchased from a retail electricity supplier or ComEd. The transmission services charge, which is based on the amount of electricity you used during the billing cycle, lists the number of kilowatt-hours that were transmitted from power generators to ComEd for delivery to your home.

If you buy your electricity from ComEd, the electricity supply charge and transmission services charge are added together and referred to as the Price to Compare, which is used to help you compare the utility’s prices with those of retail electricity suppliers.

A note on supply: ComEd purchases electricity once a year at auction on behalf of electricity customers that buy their power from the utility. The Price to Compare is set once a year and runs from June to May, with higher summer (June–September) prices and lower non-summer (October–May) prices. Retail electricity suppliers have more flexibility. They can purchase electricity throughout the year and can offer both fixed-price and variable-price plans to accommodate the preferences of individual customers.

Purchased Electricity Adjustment — Only electricity customers who buy their power from ComEd are charged a purchased electricity adjustment. Customers who buy their electricity from a retail electricity supplier will not be charged a purchased electricity adjustment and will not see this adjustment on their bill. The purpose of the adjustment is to allow ComEd to “true-up” any difference between what the utility paid for electricity and what the utility charged those customers it supplies. The adjustment can be positive (a charge) or negative (a credit).

2. Delivery Services

The second section of your ComEd residential electricity bill is called Delivery Services. Delivery Services, also known as distribution services, are charges that all electricity customers in ComEd’s service territory pay the utility to deliver power to their homes, regardless of whether they buy their electricity from the utility or a retail electricity supplier.

Delivery services include a customer charge, a standard metering charge and a distribution facilities charge. The distribution facilities charge is based on how much electricity you used during the billing cycle.

3. Taxes and Other

The third section of your ComEd residential electricity bill is called Taxes and Other. The charges in this section represent state-regulated taxes and fees that ComEd collects from all electricity customers, even those that buy their power from a retail electricity supplier, to help recover expenses and to help fund various programs managed by the state or the utility.

Certain taxes and fees that you may see on your ComEd bill include a smart meter program fee, an environmental cost recovery adjustment, an energy efficiency program fee, a franchise fee and a state-mandated sales tax.

Sources

Commonwealth Edison Co., “Review a Residential Bill Breakdown.”

Plug In Illinois, “Breaking Down the Utility Charges on Your Residential Bill.”

Plug In Illinois, “Understanding the Utility's Electric Supply Price.”

Home improvements like solar panels and energy-efficient windows can be great energy-saving upgrades, but most people will probably have to dip into their savings or take out a loan to pay for them. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of 10 energy-saving ideas that cost $10 or less. These ideas will help you save money using only the cash in your pocket. Some of the ideas are even free.

If you read part one of our two-part list of affordable energy-saving ideas, then you already know how much you can save by upgrading to CFLs, using weatherstripping to seal air leaks around windows and doors, investing in power strips and using low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators. For part two, we’ve got the scoop on five more ideas, including lowering your thermostat, lowering your water heater temperature, sealing air leaks in your basement, changing your air conditioner and furnace filters and using ceiling fans.

6. Lower your thermostat temperature

One of the best ways to reduce energy costs is completely free. Just set back your thermostat at least 10 degrees while you’re at work, sleeping, or not at home and you can save around 10 percent a year off your heating and cooling bills. On average, you’ll save about one percent on energy costs for each degree of setback as long as the setback period is at last eight hours a day. If you have a programmable thermostat you can easily set it up to run an automated schedule for you. If you have a manual thermostat, it’s easy to just adjust the dial (warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter) when you leave for work and adjust it back when you get home.

7. Lower your water heater temperature

Another free way to reduce energy costs is to reduce your water heater temperature. As we’ve said before, heating water plays a significant role in driving up the cost of your energy bills. While some water heater manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140 degrees, most households usually only require that water heaters be set at 120 degrees. For every 10 degree reduction in your water heater temperature, you can save between three percent and five percent in energy costs.

8. Seal air leaks in your basement

Air leaks in your attic or basement can really suck the money right out of your wallet. To minimize the amount of cooled and heated air that escapes, seal leaks in your basement with caulk for gaps or cracks that are a quarter inch or less, or expandable spray foam for gaps or cracks from about a quarter inch to three inches. Anything wider and you’ll probably need professional help, which won’t cost less than $10.

9. Clean or change your air conditioner and furnace filters

Air conditioner systems work most efficiently when they get steady flow of clean air. But when your AC’s air filters get clogged, dirt can be carried directly to the evaporator coil and hurt its ability to absorb heat. As a result, your AC has to work harder to cool your home. That’s why keeping your AC’s air filters clean is great energy-saving idea for under $10. Some reusable AC filters can be taken out every two weeks and cleaned. Other types of disposable air filters, such as fiberglass filters, cost less than $10. And that’s a bargain, considering the fact that keeping your AC filters clean can reduce your AC’s energy consumption by five to 15 percent.

For folks in the north who use furnaces more than air conditioners, replacing your furnace’s air filter may be a better energy-saving idea for under $10. Clean air will not only help protect your furnace’s equipment by preventing dirt buildup on its heater exchanger, but keeping your furnace running efficiently will also save you money. And remember, if you have central AC, your furnace’s blower is used to distribute cooled and dehumidified air during the summer months, so it’s a good idea to keep your furnace’s air filter clean year-round.

10. Use ceiling fans

If you have ceiling fans, using them to cool you off during the summer and circulate warm air in the winter can save you money for pennies on the dollar. During the summer, for example, ceiling fans can allow you to increase your thermostat by four degrees with no reduction in comfort, which can save you about 14 percent on your electricity bill (ceiling fans cost about two or three cents an hour to operate, compared to about 50 cents an hour for central air conditioning). Just remember to make sure the fan is spinning in the right direction and that you don’t forget to turn it off when you leave the room.

Bonus energy-saving idea: water heater blankets

Your water heater is constantly heating the water in your hot water tank, which means you’re constantly spending money to heat water you’re not using. But you can insulate your water heater with a pre-cut water heater blanket or jacket that can help keep the water in your tank warm and reduce the workload of your water heater. Although you can’t find a water heater blanket or jacket for $10 or less, you can find one for a few bucks more so we thought we’d include it as a bonus energy-saving idea. Since using a water heater jacket will allow you cut standby heat losses 25 percent to 45 percent and will result in savings of around four to nine percent off your water heating bill, those extra couple of bucks will pay for themselves soon enough.

We think these energy-saving ideas are a good start but we know some of our readers probably have some affordable energy-saving ideas as well. If so, let us know what you did for $10 or less that helped reduce your energy costs.

Sources

Energy Savers, “Ceiling Fans and Other Circulating Fans.”

Energy Savers, “Insulate Your Water Heater Tank for Energy Savings.”

Energy Savers, “Lower Water Heating Temperature for Energy Savings.”

Energy Savers, “Maintaining Your Air Conditioner.”

Energy Savers, “Thermostats and Control Systems.”

ENERGY STAR, “Sealing Air Leaks: Basement.”

Hanson Wholesale, “How Much Electricity Does a Ceiling Fan Use?”

TLC, “How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient.”

If you live in Illinois and your electricity is delivered to your home by ComEd, you can get some really good deals on upgrading your lighting from traditional incandescent light bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).

ComEd is giving price breaks on ENERGY STAR-qualified CFL blubs at retail stores throughout the electric utility’s service area. The great thing about CFL bulbs is that they use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs while lasting about 10 times longer. According to ComEd, that means the average CFL replacement for a 100 watt incandescent bulb can save a homeowner up to $71 over the life of the bulb.

Just remember, when you’re shopping for CFL replacement bulbs, make sure you shop by lumens (a bulb’s brightness) instead of watts (the amount of energy used by a bulb), since there’s a big difference in the amount of watts incandescent and CFL bulbs use.

You don’t have to do anything to earn price breaks on CFLs because the utility is providing instant shelf discounts. But there is a 12-bulb limit and a 6-fixture limit per purchase per customer.

Sources

Commonwealth Edison Co., “Light Your Way to Energy Savings.”

Illinois school districts, charter schools, vocational centers and public university laboratory schools are now eligible for grants through the state’s education board that can help schools implement money-saving energy efficiency projects.

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Energy Efficiency Grants program will provide state matching grants on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to $250,000 for approved energy efficiency improvements at eligible schools. Eligible energy efficiency improvements include insulation, windows, doors, energy controls, lighting, energy recovery, energy conservation, alternative energy systems and other projects undertaken to reduce energy consumption.

Eligible schools must receive electricity delivery from ComEd or Ameren Illinois to qualify for ISBE Energy Efficiency Grants. Applications for the grants must be for eligible equipment purchased or installed between June 1, 2011 and May 31, 2012.

For more information, including application instructions and eligibility requirements, schools can review the DCEO 2011–2012 Public Sector Energy Efficiency Guidelines or contact Kimberly Beachy (School Business Services Division) at 217.785.8779 or Agnes Mrozowski (DCEO) at 217.524.0933.

Sources

Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, “Energy Efficiency.”

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) offers a five-part video series to help Illinois homeowners become more energy efficient and save money on utility bills during the cold winter months. Here’s a list of the videos and what they explain.

1. Heating and Your Furnace

According to DCEO, one of the biggest energy hogs in your home is your furnace. But you can save up to 25 percent on your home heating bill by installing a programmable thermostat, sealing leaky ducts, keeping air filters clean and more.

Video: Heating and Your Furnace

2. Kitchen Appliances

You can save energy and money by doing things like using right sized appliances, using compact fluorescent (CFL) lamps instead of incandescent light bulbs, washing full loads of dishes and setting your refrigerators and freezers at the correct temperature.

Video: Kitchen Appliances

3. Water Heating

Water heating can account for up to 25 percent of your total energy bill, according to DCEO. Find out how to cut costs by insulating your water pipes, using low flow showerheads, fixing dripping faucets and slashing energy use in the laundry room.

Video: Water Heating

4. Insulation and Air Sealing

Did you know that 20 percent of your home’s heating loss happens in the basement? DCEO offers some tips on how to minimize basement heating loss by adding insulation in your basement and crawl space.

Video: Insulation and Air Sealing

5. Living Spaces

There are all sorts of opportunities throughout your home’s living spaces to cut your energy use and save money on utility bills during the cold winter months. The final video in the series offers information and tips on topics such as energy-efficient windows, window insulation kits, curtains and blinds, the proper use of fireplaces and more.

Video: Living Spaces

Sources

Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity, “Resources.”

Keep Warm Illinois, “Videos.”

There are plenty of expensive ways to save energy in your home, including things like installing solar panels, a tankless water heater or energy efficient windows. But if you’re on a budget or don’t want to spend a bunch of money on home improvements that might take years to show some real savings, there are several ways to cut energy costs on the cheap.

To help, here’s part one of our list of 10 energy-saving ideas that cost $10 or less. For our first installment of affordable energy-saving ideas, we shed some light on upgrading to CFLs, using weatherstripping to seal air leaks around windows and doors, turning off the lights when you’re not using them, investing in power strips and using low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators.

1. Upgrade incandescent light bulbs with CFLs

Incandescent light bulbs may be cheaper than energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) but they’re also wasteful (90 percent of energy used by incandescent bulbs goes to producing heat, not light) and they burn out a whole lot faster. These days, you can get several CFLs for under $10. Each CFL will use about 75 percent less energy and last at least 6 times longer than an incandescent bulb. Just one CFL will save about $6 a year in electricity costs (more than the price of the bulb) and more than $40 over its lifetime.

2. Seal your windows and doors with weatherstripping

Heated and cooled air that escapes your home through gaps around windows and doors can have a big-time effect on your energy bills. In fact, more than 20 percent of all the heated and cooled air that escapes your home sneaks out through gaps around windows and doors. Thankfully, using weatherstripping to seal the leaks is not only effective, but it’s something you can do for less than $10. Make sure to measure the perimeters of the doors and windows to be weatherstripped, total them up and add about 10 percent to that number to make sure you have enough weatherstripping.

3. Turn your lights off when you’re not in the room

What’s better than an energy-saving idea for $10 or less? How about one that won’t cost you a single penny? Since lighting accounts for about 10 percent of a typical household’s electricity bill, turning off your lights when you’re not in the room is a great way to save some money off lighting costs, whether or not you upgrade to CLF light bulbs.

To find out how much money you can save simply by turning off lights when you’re not using them, just take the Watt rating of a light bulb and divide by 10. This will give you the amount of electricity in kWh that the bulb uses when it’s on. If you have a 60 Watt bulb, the bulb will use 0.06 kWh of electricity in one hour. To find out how much one hour of operation costs, just multiply the bulb’s hourly kWh consumption by the amount you pay per kWh of electricity. In this case, if you pay 10 cents per kWh for electricity, a 60 Watt bulb running for one hour will cost you 0.6 cents. While that doesn’t sound like much, if you turned off five light bulbs for four hours a day when you weren’t using them, you’d save 12 cents a day, or over $43 a year. Now we’re talking some real money.

4. Slay energy vampires with power strips

Modern electrical devices — TVs, computers, stereos, coffee makers — never really turn off. Most of the time they sit idle in something called “standby mode,” ready to receive a signal from a remote control or run on a schedule, like making coffee at a certain time. Problem is, these devices are like energy vampires, feeding on your electricity when you’re not using them and costing the average household $100 a year. To make sure your devices are really turned off, use a $10 power strip. Just plug your devices into it and flip the strip’s power switch on when you want to use your devices and off when you don’t. Make sure not to use power strips with devices that have to run in standby mode to operate, like DVRs.

5. Install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators

Installing inexpensive low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can help reduce the amount of hot water you use in your home. This improvement can be a big source of energy savings since about 73 percent of the water used in a typical shower is hot water. Using low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators can reduce your home’s water heating costs by as much as 50 percent.

Now that you’re done checking out part one of our list of 10 energy-saving ideas that cost $10 or less, check back for part two for five more tips on saving energy for $10 or less.

Got any affordable energy-saving ideas of your own? Let us know what you did for $10 or less that helped cut your energy costs.

Sources

Energy Savers, “Lighting Choices to Save You Money.”

Energy Savers, “Weatherstripping.”

Energy Savers, “When to Turn Off Your Lights.”

ENERGY STAR, “Light Bulbs.”

ENERGY STAR, “Standby Power and Energy Vampires.”

Flex Your Power, “Showerheads.”