You may not be able to stop global warming all on your own. You may not be able to convince the world to switch over to green energy. You may not be able to lower oil prices single handedly, but one thing you can do is manage the cost of energy at your own home. By taking a few simple steps, you can make sure that you keep your energy costs as low as possible on your monthly bill. By doing things like weather proofing your windows, unplugging items you aren’t using, and making sure to turn off the lights, you will make sure that your energy costs stay at a reasonable rate.

Turn Off The Lights

This one seems simple, but plenty of people don’t do it. A perfect way to cut down on energy costs is to make sure that all the lights are off when you leave the house. This is especially true when you are leaving the house for an extended period of time. Imagine if you leave on a few lights in the basement and don’t think to check before you leave on a week long trip. You are going to run into an energy bill that has a few unexpected dollars on it. The same is true if you leave the lights on and just leave the house for a few minutes. If you aren’t careful, all those small trips where you leave the lights on can mean big bucks on your monthly energy bill.

Weather Proof Your Windows

Heat is great during the winter, but it can also be a drain on your wallet if you aren’t careful. Windows that have not been properly weather proofed can leak hot air, taking the overall temperature of your home down. When the temperature is down, your furnace will work twice as hard to keep your house warm. A warm house may be great, but a huge utility bill isn’t so good.

Unplug Unused Items

Are you using that phone charger when you aren’t at home? How about that TV? The toaster? Items that you keep plugged in will keep drawing energy from the socket. The best way to make sure unwanted currents aren’t flowing through unused appliances is to unplug those appliances when you don’t use them. Sure, it may be annoying to have to constantly reset the clock on your microwave, but think of the saved dollars when you don’t keep it plugged in all day.

Take a Shorter Shower

Taking a shorter shower can help you on two fronts. First, taking a shorter shower will help to cut down on water costs. The average shower head produces 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Think of all the water that you could save by cutting your shower short by even three minutes. The additional benefit to this is that you are not using as much hot water. By not using as much hot water, your water heater doesn’t need to heat up as much water. With your water heater not using as much energy to heat up water, you end up with a smaller energy bill.

By following these few tips -- turning off the lights, weather proofing your windows, unplugging unused items, and taking a shorter shower -- you will see a reduction in your energy bill in no time at all.