Wise use of energy can also help reduce utility bills. Here are some ways to save:

• Shorten showers. Simply reducing that lingering time by a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of hot water per month for a family of four. Showers account for two-thirds of water heating costs. Cutting shower times in half can reduce your water heating costs by 33 percent.
• Unplug that spare refrigerator in the garage if you don’t truly need it. This seemingly convenient way to keep extra drinks cold can add 10 to 25 percent to your electric bill.
• Turn off ventilating fans in the kitchen and bath after they’ve done their jobs. These fans can blow out a houseful of heated air if inadvertently left on.
• Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning to prevent up to 8 percent of your furnace-heated air from going up the chimney.
• Let the sunshine in. Open drapes and let the sun heat your home for free (get them closed again at sundown so they help insulate).
• Computers in sleep mode overnight are still drawing a small amount of power, but sleep mode is much better than “screen-saver” mode.
• Wrap your hot water tank with jacket insulation. This is especially valuable for older water heaters with little internal insulation. Be sure to leave the air intake vent uncovered when insulating a gas water heater. You may see savings up to 10 percent on water heating costs.

Do you have an energy-saving tip to share? Send it to editor@harvardpress.com.