Saving money all year round is easy if you make sure your house is energy efficient.
As a kid I can remember my Grandpa yelling "Close the door, I'm not cooling the outdoors"...or "Turn off the lights when you leave the room". Interestingly as I've grown in age, I make sure every door is closed when I walk out and turn off every light I'm not using. The young me didn't have the concept saving money by doing those simple tasks. The first time I had to pay an electric bill over $100, I jumped into action.

According to Electricity Local, the average cost of a home electricity bill in Wyoming is about $85 which is 20.56% less than the $107 national average. Not bad, right? What if you could actually save more money on an already low (on average) energy bill? Outstanding!

The U.S. Department of Energy says you can save big, estimating that the typical household can save 25% on utility bills with energy efficiency measures, which amounts to over $2,200 annually. Census.gov says the average household income in Wyoming is $64,000 with the average 2.46 people living in the house together. $2200 is a lot of groceries for the family.

Making sure your home is energy efficient is one way you can start saving the dollar bills. I'm not one to preach about telling people how to live their lives, but if I can help someone save money...I'm all about it. About 5 years ago was the first time having to pay a $500 electricity bill made me look at the things I could do for that to not happen again. Some of the things I found were really easy and technology helped.

The first thing was getting a new digital/ programmable thermostat. If you're like me, you thought that was a crazy thought. How can THAT help me save money? Here's how...Keeping the house between 73-76 all day meant that the A.C. was running constantly, even when not there. WHOA, that's using extra electricity, which means money and there's no one home. The programmable thermostat helped, when at home the air was cooling 73-76. Why do you need that cold when you're not home...set the thermostat to 80-83 when you leave and program it to start cooling 30 minutes before you get home. The same goes in winter, keep the heat set a little lower when you're not home. The money saved may seem like a small amount, but over time it adds up and you'll see a difference. Using other technology for your home helps too. You can get programable lights, appliances, water heaters and showers that will help in saving money on energy.

Next up, make sure the house is sealed up and add extra insulation where you can. Eliminating air leaks in windows, doors, dryer vents and cracks can save you up to 10% on heating and cooling. The less air travelling through those openings keeps the heating and cooling system from having to work that much harder.

This one will really make ya go hmmmmm...when it's hot outside, use your microwave instead of the stove or oven! BING! The stove heats up your house, making the AC have to work. The microwave doesn't put off as much heat.

There are light bulbs, showerheads, toilets, curtains and appliances that are designed to help you save money on energy.

If you're interested in more ways to save, check out DIY Network.Com and their tips to be more energy efficient and save money.

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