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With energy costs continuing to go up , many property owners and renters alike are wondering how to save money on their electric bill this year. Real savings require research and innovation. Here are some pieces of advice to help you save on your energy bill this year:

1. Lower your thermostat. Every degree above 70 increases your cost by 7 percent to 10 percent.
2. Check your filters. Dirty filters may increase your costs by up to 20 percent and could also damage the heating and cooling system.
3. Vent air from your radiator. Your radiator will become more efficient if you vent the air from it. The key on the end of the radiator costs less than $1.
4. Install a programmable thermostat. Program your thermostat to be lower or higher, depending on the season, while everyone is at work or on vacation.
5. Clean the coils that cool your refrigerator. Your refrigerator uses a lot of electrical energy, and cleaning the coils that cool it will help it work more efficiently.
6. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater. The hot water heater should be between 115 and 120 degrees.
7. Replace the shower head with a low-flow shower head. If you install a low-flow shower head, your water heater will not have to work as hard, which in turn will cut down on your utility bills.
8. Wash in cold water. The cost comparison here is a no brainer: it costs more or less 38 cents to wash a load of clothes in hot water. It costs about 1.5 cents to wash it in cold.
9. Use your dishwasher. Washing dishes by hand can use as much as 20 gallons of water, whereas a dishwasher only uses about 15 gallons of water.
10. Fill your motorized appliances to capacity. Air conditioning units, freezers, washers and dryers, refrigerators, and dishwashers operate most efficiently when they’re operating at full capacity. When they’re not working at full capacity they pull more energy than they use.

Even using just a few of these tips should save you dollars and cents off of your next energy bill. Using good common sense, like investing in compact fluorescent light bulbs and turning off the lights when you leave the room, should further cut down your bill and add to your savings.

Author: Lisa Brown is a Sales and Marketing Associate for Almost Home USA, a temporary housing company whose goal is to provide such excellent experiences that clients feel almost home.