At Money Crashers, we are dedicated to helping you save money in every area of your life. I know there are families out there that stare at $200, $300, $400, and sometimes $500 utility bills every month. This is a huge expense, so we need to tackle it. Obviously, there are many factors that go into a utility bill. Bigger houses equal bigger bills, and typically older houses yield higher bills, because they do not have the energy efficient features that newer houses have. Here are 10 ways you can start immediately reducing your utility bill.

The colder months are quickly approaching so here are some tips for insulating your home better . . .

1. Apply Weather Stripping to doors and windows.
2. Insulate outlets and light switches.
3. Install a programmable thermostat and set it to turn down the thermostat at night and when you are gone.

Saving Money With Your Water . . .

1. Install a tankless water heater. Renai is the leader in tankless water heaters and you can visit their website Forever Hot Water.
2. Insulate your water heater. If you don’t want to pony up the money for a tankless water heater, you should definitely insulate your water heater, just make sure that you don’t cover up important pieces of the heater such as the thermostat and the air intake.
3. Wash clothes in warm or cold water.

Appliances are your biggest energy sucker. Use these tips to reduce the energy they use:

1. Pack the dishwasher. Don’t over pack it, but make sure that you never run the dishwasher for three or four plates and some silverware.
2. Air Dry Large pots, pans, and dishes. These take up a lot of room in the dishwasher, and you’ll use it less if you dry these items yourself.
3. Buy appliances with the Energy Star sticker on them. We just bought a used front-load washer and dryer. It uses SO much less water and energy than the standard washers.
4. Use the microwave or toaster oven to re-heat food. Don’t use the oven just to re-heat something. It uses much more energy to heat up.

When it comes to saving money on your utility bill, identify the items in your house that use both water and energy. Dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters are three major appliances that you may want to consider replacing to more energy and water efficient models. Also, remember that your air conditioning and heater usage is the biggest game changer when it comes to your utility bill. If you turn the air up a little bit in the hot months and turn it down a little bit in the cold months, you’ll save hundreds of dollars per year.

There are hundreds of more ways to save money on your utility bills. Comment with your tips and suggestions below.