Saving energy seems to be on everyone’s mind these days. And while we all know to turn out lights when we leave a room, there are so many other ways we can conserve. Listed below are things we can all do. So whether you are building a home or simply would like to cut costs in your current home, take a few minutes to read over the following tips it could mean a big difference in your monthly utility bills

1. The sun offers powerful resources for saving money. Try keeping your window treatments open during times when the sun shines. This will help warm your house and take some of the load off of your heater. During the summer, keep window treatments closed. This will help keep your house cool and take the same load off your air conditioner.Also, if you are building a new home, pay close attention to windows. If possible, try locating most of your glass area facing south or move windows on the plan to decrease the amount of east, west or north glass. In many cases, southern exposure windows could save as much as 30% on both heating and cooling.

2. Properly insulating your home is one of the things you can do to $ave on your energy bill. The effectiveness of insulation is measured in R-Values. Energy Guard Foil is a reflective material that lays over the top of your insulation that will save you an additional 29to 39 % on your heating and cooling bill.

3. In addition to insulating your home, weather-stripping and caulking can also be a money saver around your home. In fact in a typical home, 1/2 to 3/4 of the fuel bill is the result of air infiltration. Caulking is also something you can easily do yourself. It is recommended that you apply caulking: around window and door frames, between different siding materials, to the joint between foundation and siding, around chimney flashing, to corners where siding materials meet, around faucets, piping, outlets and vents around house exterior, around interior ceiling fixtures, around interior water pipes and drains and around the frame of an attic door or entry.

4. As simple as it sounds, installing storm windows and storm doors can cut your heating bill! If you cannot afford to install them throughout your house, try using plastic covers around some of your windows. And also remember that in cold climates, windows with wood frames and sash and double- sealed glass are best.

5. Turning off interior and exterior lights when not in use is of course the first thing we think of when we talk about energy conservation. You can help make this second nature by installing your switches in convenient locations by doorways. Also, a bigger bulb does not necessarily produce more light. A 40-watt fluorescent lamp gives off 3-4 times more light than a 40-watt incandescent lamp! You might also consider reducing the wattage of bulbs which are not located in critical areas.

6. Finally, while your water heater is the #2 source of energy consumption in your home, it operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and costs more than any other major appliance in your home.Wrapping your water heater with an Energy Guard blanket will keep a lot of that heat froming getting to the cool air and save you money. Replacing your old water heater with a more energy efficient model, such as a tankless water heater can considerably cut your energy bill by upto 69%.