Cutting Your Energy Bill

Cutting Your Energy Bill

Rising fuel costs mean you'll pay more than ever before to heat your home this winter. Everyone's looking to cut costs. Consumer Reports has some simple ways to save on your energy bills without spending any money at all.

Start in the laundry room. Ninety percent of the energy used by a washing machine is spent heating the water. Wash your clothes in cold water and save as much as 30-percent.

Another tip: Adjust the thermostat before you go to sleep or leave the house. For every degree that you lower your thermostat in the winter, or raise it in the summer, you'll save about 3-percent on your energy costs.

And setting the water heater at the "low" setting, or 120 degrees, means you'll spend less for hot water.

Even your computer can help you save. If you keep it on "standby" mode instead of leaving it on day and night, the computer will use 80-percent less electricity.

You can save in the kitchen, too. Instead of rinsing your dishes, let the dishwasher do the work. You'll save about 20 gallons of water, as well as the energy needed to heat that water.

And Consumer Reports says opt for the microwave to heat your food. You could use as much as 80% less energy than it would take to use the oven instead.

Following these tips won't cost a thing, and will add up to savings on your next energy bill.

For a list of the top 20 ways to start saving energy you can click on the following link:

Click here for Consumer Reports' 20 Free Ways to Save Energy

Consumer Reports' Guide to Reducing Energy Costs is full of advice on inexpensive ways to cut your heating and cooling costs.

It's sold at newsstands and at www.consumerreports.org/books.