Everyone today wants to find some ways to save money and stretch their paychecks just a little bit further. One of the best ways to do this is by lowering your monthly electric bill. Below are five ways homeowners can save on energy costs.

Insulate Your Home to Regulate Temperature

Heating and cooling costs make up a huge chunk of your electric bill every month, especially during the summer and winter months. Did you know that you could save a ton of money by stopping the air and temperature leaks by sealing the air into your home? Install better insulation in your walls and ceiling and replace old windows with energy-efficient ones.

This can be a major remodeling job, but if you’re on a tight budget and can’t make those improvements right now, you can still reduce air leaks by replacing your old weather stripping around the doors and windows. This includes your garage door too, if you have an attached garage.

Use Power Strips to Prevent Phantom Loads

A lot of people don’t realize that their electrical appliances and electronics all draw power whenever they are plugged in, even when they are turned off! This constant energy leak adds up by the end of the month.

To prevent these phantom loads, as they are called, all you need to do is plug your devices into a power strip and then turn it off when not in use. Make sure that the power strip you purchase has an on/off switch. Some power strips also include a surge protector fuse. This protects delicate electronics such as computers and smartphones from electrical surges.

Switch to Energy-Saving Appliances

When shopping around for clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators or any similar household appliances, look for Energy Star products. These machines are certified to use less electricity than their competitors. You can also switch from regular light bulbs to LED bulbs or energy-saving bulbs which require less power to put out the same amount of light.

Install Solar Panels on Your Roof

Installing solar panels on the roof of your home through a company like Solar Source can also help you save a lot of money over the years. You will probably still have to pay a small fee or tax to the electric company for maintenance, but your electric bill will be greatly reduced, depending on how many solar panels you have installed.

Stop Wasting Electricity

Lastly, the easiest way to save money on your utilities is to simply use less energy. Make sure that everyone in the household gets in the habit of shutting off lights and ceiling fans when they walk out of a room. You can also turn down the thermostat in your refrigerator a little bit without any negative impact on food quality. And you can wear more or less clothing while lounging around the house to avoid using so much power when running the air conditioner or heater.

There are a lot of possible ways to save money on your electric bill. Whether you go all in on insulation and window replacements or just wear a hoodie and extra socks on colder days, you can save money with just a few easy steps.