LOL … I like to keep my house at 71 (most especially at night, even with a fan running) but on the hottest days this summer I bumped it up to 75. At 75, I am sweating the second I move to do anything and generally uncomfortable all day. While I’m gone at work, I let it go up to 75 or 76 but I don’t want it to stress trying to get back down when I come home so I don’t go above that. Pretty shocking huh? I should just move to anarctica and be done with it. ;)

At the very least, the programmable thermostat could be set to ease back the throttle at night when no one is awake. That’s what we do at our house, since my wife is home with the kids all day. The thermostat is set to kick up to 80 or so overnight in the summer, then drop back down to a more normal temperature shortly before everyone is up for the day. Gives 6-8 hours a day at the more energy-saving temperature, without much of a sacrifice in comfort. And in the winter, everyone has more than enough blankets to keep warm without the furnace blasting constantly, so it’s even less of an inconvenience.
We have a child with serious breathing issues, and the $30 filters were recommended to us also. Try using the cheaper filters, and covering the inside of the vents with cheese cloth. It will do a better job of filtering the air, and cheese cloth is cheap. And you can switch it out more frequently in the rooms that concern you most (like the bedroom).
_{As a freelance writer, editor, and blogger, April Dykman specialized in personal finance, real estate, and entrepreneurship topics. Her work has been featured on MSNBC, Fox Business, Forbes, MoneyBuilder, Yahoo! Finance, Lifehacker, and The Consumerist. Now she does direct response copywriting but, in her free time, April is a wannabe chef, a diehard Italophile, and a recovering yogi.}
High electric bills can make you struggle with your budget. A bill that fluctuates from month to month can be unpredictable. However, you can get a handle on your electricity consumption and make electric bills go down every month through steady change and making improvements to your home. While not everything in your home uses the same amount of energy (see Resources), cutting back on how you use appliances and areas in your home can create a drop in your bill.
Everyone’s looking for ways to go green and save a little green these days. A major source of expenditure for all of us is our electricity bill. Its a great place to start saving money by making some small changes in your home. Whether you want to save planet earth, or you’re interested in ways to lower your energy bills, here are 41 tips to help be proactive and money savvy when it comes to energy.
One of the things that consumes a lot of power is a freezer running in an uncooled garage, storage room, etc. I used to beg my mom to disconnect hers (she lived alone and really didn’t need the extra freezer space) but she was a tough cookie when it came to changing her ways. Also, make sure your cooling system’s duct work is intact and not leaking cooled air into your attic. Consider turning off your electric water heater when you leave home for a week or more.

I just wanted to mention a few words about appliances. We recently replaced our dozen year old Kenmore dishwasher with an Energy Star WHirlpool Gold. The Kenmore was actually still working fine but the racks had rusted and replacing them would cost more than we paid for the whole dishwasher, we figured since the DW was older there was no point sinking $400 into it.

_{You could knock hundreds of dollars off your bill over the course of a year if you stick to the conditions of the discount. Most energy companies will provide some kind of discount for things like paying your bills on time, by direct debit, or for receiving communications via email. However, make sure you understand the details of any discounts, including whether it is a discount off your entire bill, or just usage or supply charges.}
Customers that live in Queensland, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, or the Australian Capital Territory can freely compare leading electricity suppliers to find which electricity company is the cheapest. Across the board, this is the most effective way to find cheaper rates and more attractive electricity and gas packages – packages that better meet the needs of your individual household.
What’s the biggest issue on Power To Choose? Teaser Rates. As you work your way through the various electricity plans offered in your area, you’ve probably come across a few that seem too good to be true. These teaser electricity rates create confusion for customers looking for the best deal they can get using electricity comparison sites like the PUCT’s Power to Choose.
I’m going to go ahead and start with the most obvious — the most effective way to lower your electric bill is very likely by going solar. Sure, you have to pay for those solar panels, but they are cheaper (in the long run) than electricity. The average household that goes solar is likely to save tens of thousands of dollars over the course of their solar panel system’s lifetime.
Hey I have a lot of plugs fact plus on top of plugs and please don't laff they don't sell many, many extension cords just to me hahaha If I organized it to where I could plug in non-essential plugs to (for example) my DVD Player, Surround Sound Unit, Wii Game and Cable Box into a electric Bar and each night hit the switch off (Turning everything off prior to) of course... would I be saving Or will I still be absorbing electricity via that Bar? lots of questions like this and more to follow

On the one hand, long-term, fixed-rate (contract) plans offer stability in pricing. If energy supply costs suddenly go up in your area, you won’t be left paying more than what you bargained for.  You’ll have peace-of-mind.  If you want to switch out of your contract before it ends with a lower cost plan, you’ll likely face a cancellation fee (early termination fee).