The typical American family spends $1,500 each year on energy bills, a number that may go up as much as 50 percent this year. The following steps can help reduce costs.

1. Create tight seals. The most cost-effec- tive way to reduce energy bills is to air-seal holes, cracks and openings in your home, and then add insulation to
stop the flow of heat through the walls and ceiling.
• Weatherstrip and insulate your attic hatch or door to prevent warm air from escaping.
• Seal holes in the attic that lead into the house. For example, ducts, plumbing, or electrical runs.
• Weatherstrip doors and windows that do not seal tightly. Use foam caskets around electrical outlets (under the plates) to reduce drafts.
2. Heat your home wisely.
• Replace your furnace air filter frequently or as directed by the manufacturer. A dirty filter reduces air flow which makes your system work harder to deliver air to the registers. Cover the filter slot with a piece of wide tape to prevent air from getting in around filter edges without passing through the filter.
• Set back your thermostat when you’re asleep or away.
• Call a heating contractor to service your system.
• Encourage family members to wear sweaters and heavier socks and use throw blankets to keep comfortable when the thermostat is set on a lower setting.
3. Change a light. Lighting in many homes can represent 20 percent of home electricity bills.
• Replace bulbs in the most frequently used lights with bulbs that have earned the Energy Star.
4. Power down computers and electronic products when not in use. Computers and other electronics account for an increasing energy load in most homes.
• Activate your computer’s power management features, so it powers down when idle.
• Unplug battery chargers and power adapters when charging is complete.
• Consider using a power strip that can be turned off when you are finished
using your computers, printers, wireless routers and other electronics.
5. Look for products that have earned the Energy Star.