• Turn off lights when they're not in use.
• Have incandescent light bulbs replaced with energy saving florescent bulbs.
• Use daylight whenever possible.

• Purchase high efficiency models of refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, dryers, ranges, ovens and dishwashers. You might pay a bit more up front, but your investment will pay for itself in energy savings.
• Whenever possible, cook in your toaster oven, microwave or broiler oven. They use half of the energy of a regular oven
• When using clothes washers or dishwashers, only do full loads.
• Hang clothes to dry when you can.
• Many Major appliance purchases are made without considering the energy-efficiency.  Many times paying a little more upfront for an energy efficient model will pay off in lower utility bills for years to come.  It is a worthwhile investment.   If you're buying an appliance, be sure to check out these websites
  • www.energystar.gov - EPA Energy Star Program
  • www.consumerreports.org - Consumers Union
  • www.eren.doe.gov/consumerinfo/ - Explains yellow Energy Guide label
  • www.aceee.org - American Council for Energy Efficient Economy
  • http://HomeEnergySaver.lbl.gov

Heating & Cooling

• Maintain your room temperature at 78 degrees during the summer months and between 68-70 during the winter. Wear a sweater instead of turning the heat up.
• Consider using a ceiling fan rather than an air conditioner. A ceiling fan can lower room temperature as much as ten degrees.
• If you are going to use an air conditioner, clean the unit filters at least once a month.
• Don't place lamps near your thermostat. The thermostat senses the heat produced from the lamp and causes the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
• Shade windows on the sunny side of your home to keep rooms cooler. Keep drapes closed or add room-darkening shades to block out the heat from the sun.
• In order to keep your home warm and save money, consider your insulation - make sure that the insulation in your attic is adequate. Blanket insulation should be at least ten inches thick; loose fill should be between eight and fourteen inches thick.
• Weather-stripping and caulking around windows and doors can significantly reduce the amount of air infiltration in your home.
• When the cooler weather comes, clean or replace your furnace filters once a month as needed. Dirty filters block much of the warm air coming from the blower, and your furnace will operate less efficiently.
• Make sure that heat vents aren't covered by rugs or furniture.
• A water bed can use as much electricity as a large refrigerator. It is basically a water heater, but without any insulation! You can install 1/2" thick foam insulating material. (polystyrene board) along the sides, and on the bottom of the waterbed mattress. This will reduce the transfer of heat from the water bed into the bedroom. Remember to make your bed after getting up because keeping your waterbed covered will also help save money.
• Open crawlspace vents will allow heated or cooled air to escape form your home. Look for any open warm air ducts. Seal and insulate all warm ducts and have a vapor barrier installed on the earth below your floors if you have a crawl space under your home. 
• Unfortunately those beautiful old brick fireplaces can be very energy inefficient. A good test for an open fireplace damper is to place a thin sheet of plastic (a new plastic garbage bag) taped over the opening of the fireplace (with no fire in the fireplace). If the plastic bag appears to be blowing towards the chimney opening, the fireplace damper is probably open or is not sealing properly. 
• Your water heater may also consume a large amount of energy (kWh).   Frequent showers, excessive laundry, dishwashing, or a dripping hot water faucet can increase your hot water consumption. The hot water "pressure relief valve" may be leaking through a discharge pipe. This is very common in mobile homes and apartments. Since most water heaters are located in a closet or basement area, most people are not aware of the problem until it is too late.