Do You Make These Energy Mistakes?

Everyone wants to save energy and cut their energy bills. Don't make these mistakes or you will make that goal even harder to reach.

1. Never changing your air filters - Dirt and dust can easily clog vital parts of your furnace, make it run roughly, and eventually break.

2. Closing air registers in unused rooms - Forced air furnaces were designed to heat a certain square footage. There is no way for the furnace to know that the vent is closed, so it is pointless. In addition, the cold air from the rooms with closed vents will actually cool down the rest of the house.

3. Not connecting appliances to power strips - Many appliances draw power even when they are turned off. Putting them on a power strip allows you to cut the circuit completely, and stops the slow draw of electricity.

4. Running home fans in the wrong direction - A ceiling fan should run clockwise during the summer, and counter-clockwise during the winter.

5. Using the normal or heavy cycle on the dishwasher - Dishwashers burn up a lot of energy, and as long as you rinse your dishes off, there is no difference in cleanliness between modes. Most times, a person will not check what cycle the dishwasher is on...so be sure to check before walking off.

Once you get a list of energy saving tips compiled, you can slowly make your way towards a smaller energy bill. Remember not to be careless or passive in your energy saving approach- you may end up wasting your time and your energy...no pun intended.