Hoping to save electricity and reduce your energy bills every month? Start by using common products that you may find throughout your home, including these ten:

Power Strips

Even when electronics are turned off, they can still consume energy. How can you fight back against these energy vampires? Instead of plugging them directly into the wall, plug them into a power strip and turn the entire power strip off when the devices aren’t in use. This will help you save electricity and money on your next electric bill.

Light Bulbs

One of the easiest ways to save electricity is switching to energy efficient light bulbs. By replacing your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), you cut back on your electricity use by 75% and save up to $35 per bulb! Luckily, these bulbs are at almost every grocery, drug, and hardware store, so you won’t have to go far to find them.

E-Readers

It may seem strange, but using an e-reader instead of reading books can actually save electricity. How? Typically, reading a book requires a brightly lit room, however most e-readers have a unique backlight that allows you to read the screen without turning on lights. This means that even though you’re using an electronic device, you can still save electricity.

Programmable Thermostats

Newer thermostat models allow you to program different settings for various times of the day so you can save electricity by cutting back on your heating and cooling use. For example, if you know you’ll be at work between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. everyday, you can set your thermostat to turn off during these hours and power back on shortly before you arrive home. By taking advantage of these settings, you can save about $180 a year!

Laundry Racks

Air-drying your laundry doesn’t have to mean setting up an old-fashioned clothesline in the backyard. Laundry racks can be set up in your laundry room and used to dry clothes without electricity. Let’s say you do eight loads of laundry a week and choose a laundry rack for half of those loads, you’ll save around $50 a year!

Rugs

Save electricity and brighten the look of a room by throwing down a decorative rug. Not only will this make bare, wood floors more comfortable to walk on, but it will also increase the heat retention within the room and reduce the need for electricity.

Energy Star Refrigerator

One of the appliances that uses the most electricity in your home is the refrigerator. However, you can reduce this appliance’s energy consumption by choosing an Energy Star model. Each model is about 10% more energy efficient than other models, meaning if all refrigerators were Energy Star models, people in the United States would save around $400 million a year!

Laptop Computer

Ready to purchase a new computer? Consider getting a laptop computer to save electricity. Laptops use around 80% less electricity than desktop computers, so by making the switch, you’ll see a significant decrease on your bill. The energy efficiency varies between different laptop models, so be sure to choose one that consumes the least amount of energy.

Candles

Those candles that you have throughout your home can be used as more than just decoration. Next time you curl up to read before bed, choose a candle instead of turning on a lamp. Lighting candles a few nights a week can help you drastically lower your electricity bill.

Motion Sensors

The best way to reduce your electricity bill is obviously to stop using so much electricity! Installing motion sensors on your outdoor lights allows you to cut back on the amount of time your outdoor lights are being used. When used throughout the entire home, you could save up to $100 a year!

Get in the habit of using these ten common products and you’ll begin to save electricity (and money) immediately! Find out how efficient your electricity currently is by taking a Benefyd!