Has your energy bill been creeping up lately? There are a number of steps you can take to cut down your energy usage so you’re not, quite literally, throwing money out the window. 

Whether you're seeking to make substantial energy-saving investments or looking for small, DIY adjustments, reducing your home's energy consumption doesn't have to be a complicated process.

5 Ways To Cut Your Energy Costs 

Conduct an Energy Audit 

A home energy audit helps identify areas of your home where energy efficiency can be improved. In an energy audit, a professional auditor will come to your home to assess energy usage and make recommendations based on the findings. The Residential Energy Services Network provides a directory of certified professional energy assessors. 

Weatherstrip Your Doors and Windows 

Weatherstripping gaps around doors and windows can reduce the amount of heating and cooling escaping your home. This is a simple and low-cost step that can make your home more comfortable and more energy efficient. What’s more: most of the time you can purchase and install weatherstripping yourself.  

Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances  

Energy efficient appliances use less energy than their traditional counterparts. In a typical American home, more than half (51%) of the annual energy consumption is from space heating and air conditioning while water heating, lighting, and refrigeration account for 27% of annual home energy use. Energy Star-certified appliances are a great place to start when looking for energy efficient products that benefit your pocketbook and the planet.

Purchase Smart Devices  

Leveraging “smart home” technologies makes it easier to run our homes and takes a lot of the guesswork out of optimizing our energy consumption. Smart thermostats, plugs and lightbulbs can limit the amount of time electronics are consuming energy. Smart devices can also adapt to your preferences, automatically adjusting the temperature or light in your home to strike a balance between energy savings and comfort.         

Go Solar 

Investing in rooftop solar gives you the power to generate your own electricity, saving you money on your electricity bills and improves the resilience of your home (especially when coupled with battery storage). As a bonus, harnessing energy from the sun helps reduce carbon emissions while often improving your home’s resale value. A study by Zillow found that homes with solar sell for 4% more than comparable homes without.

Hesitant to go solar? Ready more about the benefits here.