How to...

Save Money On Utilities:

Take a flyer on fluorescents: Compact fluorescent bulbs represent one of the brightest ideas for cooling your electric bill. {Not every CFL produces a warm, candlelight glow. To achieve that effect, look for one with a Kelvin temperature of 2,600 to 3,000.}
Don't let the price of CFLs -- as much as $7 each -- turn you off. The lights not only last 10 times longer than incandescents but also save up to $60 in electricity per light over their lifetime.
{Read "A bright way to cut your power bill."}

Vanquish the vampires: Appliances that include a clock or operate by a remote, as well as chargers, are sucking electricity even when you're not using them. Of the total energy used to run home electronics, 40% is consumed when the appliances are turned off. The obvious way to pull the plug on so-called energy vampires is to do just that -- pull the plug.
Or buy a device to do it for you, such as a Smart Power Strip, which will stop drawing electricity when the gadgets are off, and pay for itself within a few months.

Insulate your water heater: Is your coffee mug more insulated than your water heater? The newest electric water heaters have plenty of insulation. But if you have one built before 2004, wrap it in an insulating jacket such as a Thermwell blanket. You'll save 10% -- about $30 -- annually on your water-heating bill.

Service the furnace: Have your furnace tuned every two years and you'll save about 10% on your heating bills.

Turn down the heat: For every degree you lower your home's temperature during the heating season, subtract 5% from your bill, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.
An Energy Star programmable thermostat saves more than twice its price within a year and will adjust the temperature automatically for you when you're away or asleep.

Set the washer to cold: Use cold water to wash your clothes and save 50% of the energy you would otherwise use for hot water.
Set your dryer on the moisture sensor, not the timer, and cut energy use by 15%

Stop drafts: As your father would say, don't heat or cool the great outdoors. Put weatherstrip around the frames of your front and back doors and save about $30 per year in energy costs.

Lower your water temperature: Set your water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit. If your heater does not have a temperature gauge, dial down until the water feels hot, not scalding.
{Before going too low, make sure your dishwasher has a booster heater, which gets the temperature up to 140 degrees, necessary for proper cleaning.}

Use timers on lights: Install occupancy sensors or timers on lights in areas you use only occasionally and for exterior lights, which tend to get left on during the day.
Anyone with basic wiring skills can install them.