Tips to help you avoid getting shocked by the power bill

Sure, the latest appliances offer convenience, but there?s nothing like the muscles you build kneading your own bread, cranking your own ice cream, and sweeping the floor with a good ole? fashioned broom.

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• Install ceiling fans to circulate air and lower your indoor air temperature without blasting the air conditioner.
• Open windows across the house from each other during cool times of the day and enjoy a pleasant breeze.
• Keep blinds and curtains closed on the sunny side of the house.
• Install window film, especially on windows on the southern side of your house.
• Run appliances that create heat, such as the oven, dishwasher and dryer, at cooler times of the day.
• Use spot lighting rather than whole-room lighting to keep rooms from heating up.
• Keep a cool pitcher of iced tea in the fridge and try the age-old keep-cool method of kicking back on the porch.

• Open blinds and curtains and let the sun warm your home.
• Keep fireplace dampers closed when not in use to keep cold air out and warm air in.
• Tune up your furnace yearly.
• Curl up by a roaring fire. If you have a gas fireplace, just use the gas to start the fire.
• Scatter throw blankets around the house so you can hang out in comfort.

• Check that your windows and doors are sealed properly.
• Beef up your insulation, especially in the attic.
• Install storm doors. They trap air from the outside and help insulate.
• Close vents and doors in rooms you’re not using in order to concentrate your cooling efforts.
• Install or fix your thermostat so that you can regulate zones of the house and set a timer for temperature changes.
• Clean heating/air ducts, vents and grills to maximize air flow.
• Change air filters regularly.

• Switch to Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs. This is the easiest and most effective change you can make to reduce your energy use.
• Look for the Energy Star label when replacing appliances.
• Wash full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Dry loads of clothes one after the other to take advantage of the heat left in the dryer.
• Clean the lint filter after every load.
• Keep refrigerators comfortably full.
• Avoid keeping refrigerators and freezers in the garage.
• Clean refrigerator coils twice a year.
• Unplug appliances that are not in use.
• Keep it simple. Sure, the latest appliances offer convenience, but there's nothing like the muscles you build kneading your own bread, cranking your own ice cream, and sweeping the floor with a good ol' fashioned broom.
  

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