If you are looking to cut down your ever increasing electricity bills and comes across an offer that promises to save you money on energy cost, think twice before opting for it. The offer could be one of the many energy scams being run by selfish people and entities and your energy bills could end up costing more than ever.

The tip might come as a surprise to a lot of us, but there are a number of fraud companies that try to cash in on the rising concerns over global warming and conserving energy. They sell ideas and equipments with the claim to reduce your electricity bills but once you sign up for such fraudulent schemes, you will find that your electricity bill has soared even higher due to hidden costs like service, late payment and cancellation fees. These companies make use of door to door salesmen, direct mail and telesales to defraud people into entering such schemes.

Whenever you come across such offers, it is advisable to run a background check on the credentials of the companies selling these schemes. You should always go for well known companies that have substantial experience and credibility in the field. When looking for a trustworthy company, you should ask people staying in your area to give your some reliable recommendations. And if you are unable to get any information through neighbors, you can ask the local Better Business Bureau for a list of licensed service providers who are reputed in the business.

When it comes to energy for your home, you should always make sure that you are not compromising on quality of service for cheaper deals. You should shop around and run a comparative study of offers of different companies to choose the best suited option for your house. Remember that the service you choose will be a recurring expense and commitment, so it is in your best interest to choose carefully.

When we talk about fireplaces, the first thing that comes to mind is wood burning in one corner of the house creating a cozy environment. People generally tend to think that using fireplaces saves energy and reduces the electricity bill. But it is quite untrue as fireplaces are not only non-environment friendly, but also take the heat from insides of your home and transfer it outside through the chimney. It is advisable to use fireplaces as just another design and decoration element in your house and not as a heating system.

But if you still want to use a fireplace, then the heat loss through fireplaces can be remedied by making use of glass doors. In addition, you should check that the chimney damper is tightly fitted in its position by shining a flashlight up your fireplace. From time to time, you should also ensure proper maintenance of your fireplace by getting the chimney and ducts cleaned by professionals. As usual, it is always advisable to hire the services of a licensed duct cleaning company to make sure that the job is done well.

Though using the above mentioned techniques can reduce the heat loss through fireplace and keep it in good working condition, it will be a good idea to switch from wood to natural gas as the fuel for your fireplace. This will be cleaner, more environment-friendly and will save you money. You can also opt for electronic ignition and direct venting, which make the fireplace more energy efficient. You should also consider controlling the temperature of the room by getting a thermostat installed in the fireplace.

One other thing that you should keep in mind is that the fireplace heat can make the glass very hot. You should keep the kids and pets away and at safe distance from the fireplace. A good way to do this would be to install a pet or a child safety gate around the fireplace. You should also ensure that no inflammable objects are placed in vicinity of the fireplace. The standing pilot light should be turned off when the fireplace is no longer in regular use. To get it reignited, you can use your furnace maintenance professional when he comes for his periodical visit.

A water heater can be a major source of energy consumption, and it should be one of the first things to target if you are looking to reduce your electricity bills.

You can save as much as 5% of your electricity bills if you add insulation to the hot water pipes and operate you water heater on a temperature of 48°, instead of the regular 54°.

Good hot water tanks come with a warranty of 9 to 12 years and last as long as 10 to 15 years. Their lifespan normally depends on the quality of water in your locality and the water pressure that you get. Tanks with shorter warranties are ones that lack thick insulation and strong burners. These products end up being highly inefficient so you should always try to avoid them.

On the other hand, larger gas enabled units end up being expensive because they need a lot of gas supply. Tankless heaters claim to save energy by initiating the heating process only when the faucet is turned on, but they may not give you enough capacity.

The best way to save money in this scenario is to use lesser hot water. You should rinse clothes with cold water as hot water is necessary only for washing the clothes. Generally, you should use the washing machine only when you can have it fully loaded, unless there is some urgency. Similarly, use your dishwasher only when it is fully loaded and if it has an energy saver cycle then make use of it. Using an electric shaver will also cut some unnecessary usage of hot water.

The water heating industry has seen some important technological advancements in the recent past. For example, the new Hybritherm Technology has been introduced by Conematics, a reputed Canadian Company. The technology has been developed in collaboration with leading American and European companies from the heating products industry. It allows you to install a single high efficiency water boiler that also heats your house at the same time. It not only saves you a lot of money – it can cut your heating bills by more than a quarter – but also lowers your carbon footprint as it reduces green house emissions by more than 1.5 tonnes annually.

One of the simplest methods of saving energy is by preventing its misuse. It does not require a lot of time or effort and cuts your electricity bills significantly. All it demands is making simple habits like switching off electrical appliances after use.

Many of us tend to leave appliances like televisions on stand by and think that we have turned them off, when in reality the appliance in consuming more than 80% of energy it would have if it was on.

One of the major components of energy consumption is lighting the house. Conventional bulbs consume a lot more electricity than energy saving bulbs. These highly efficient bulbs work on the same principle as fluorescent lights with a coating that glows when electricity is passed through the tube. They might seem like an expensive option but they prove to be more profitable in long run, both in terms of energy savings as well as longer life. Their life is almost 10 times longer than a conventional bulb, and their energy consumption is as much as 4 times lesser.

Another method of saving electricity is to switch to solar lighting and heating systems. These appliances are charged using solar energy during the day and can be conveniently used throughout the day. Another way of using sunlight to reduce electricity usage is to dry clothes in the sun rather than in an electric dryer. You can also reduce your heating needs by increasing the amount of sunlight that comes in your house. This can be done by keeping the windows clean and use material that helps in trapping heat.

Technical equipment like computers and printers also add a lot to your energy bills. You should always keep the printer switched off when it is not being used. Some printers can consume more than 600 watts, which is as much power as needed to run a small microwave.

You might also have a habit of leaving your computer on standby because you don’t want to reboot it frequently. But if you would be using it after more than an hour then you should shut it down. A computer on standby mode can consume as much energy in one hour as a 14 watt bulb would do in one day.