The typical family spends about $1900 per year on home energy costs, and that figure is rising. You need to do everything you can to lower your energy costs more than ever. The best solution is to have a complete energy savings plan for your home or business and reduce your energy consumption. By making energy efficient enhancements, switching to a lower cost energy provider, and lowering your energy consumption you can reduce your energy costs by up to 50%. Here are some helpful energy savings tips you can use to make your home or business more energy efficient.

Heating & Cooling: Up to 50% of your home's energy costs come from operating your heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Insulation: About one third of air leaks from the home occur from the ceilings, walls and floors.

Lighting & Appliances: Nearly 10% of your home's energy costs come from lighting.   Energy Providers: Retail Electric Providers compete for your business by offering lower electric rates. Get a quote now!

Texas has tremendous climate swings throughout the year and up to 50% of your home's energy costs come from operating your heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.

Start by having a certified HVAC technician properly maintain or upgrade your HVAC equipment. Energy efficient HVAC systems might cost more, but they will more than pay for themselves over their lifetime plus they can add value to your home.
Air conditioners actually run better if they operate for longer periods of time, rather than turning on and off. You need to contact a certified HVAC technician to properly size your unit to fits the needs of your home. Buying a bigger room unit won't necessarily mean greater savings on your energy bills. In fact, a unit that is too big for your space will operate less efficiently and cost more money to power.

The greater the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures of your home will directly effect your energy costs. So set your thermostat as low as possible in the winter and as high as comfortably possible in the summer. When you leave your home for an extended period of time, use a programmable thermostat. A programmable thermostat will automatically lower and raise the temperature when you are away.

In the winter, reverse your ceiling fan motor so that the blades push air up toward the ceiling, where hot air normally rises. The fan will drive the warm air back down around the edges of the room, which can result in more even heating. Better heat circulation will help combat the problem of sweating windows that some homes experience in the wintertime because of condensation on the glass

Close your drapes, blinds and shades to help keep heat in at night. Remove and clean room air conditioner filters monthly. Dirty filters reduce the efficiency of your HVAC unit.

• Keep your thermostat set at 78 degrees or above in the summer and spring months. Every degree below 78 increases your cooling costs by almost 10%.
• Clean and replace your filters once a month.
• Turn on your fans. By turning on a fan, a room can feel up 5 degrees cooler.
• Keep electrical devices away from your thermostat. The device may increase the temperature cause your unit to run longer than necessary.
• Plant trees or shrubs to shade and reduce the heat around your house.

• Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter.
• Clean or replace air filters once a month.
• Keep the blinds and shades open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night.
• Change your ceiling fans switches to a clockwise rotation. This allows the fans to bring the warmer air down.

A well insulated home can greatly reduce your energy costs and save you hundreds of dollars. You must have proper insulation to keep the cool air inside your home in the summer and warm air inside in the winter.

Insulation is measured in R-values. The higher the R-value, the more resistant it is to climate changes. There are four types of insulation; rolls and batts (blankets), loose-fill, rigid foam, and blown foam in place insulation.
Roughly one third of air leaks from the home occur from the ceilings, walls and floors. Make sure you have proper insulation in the attic, as this is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to reduce your energy costs in your home. Most homes should have between an R-22 and R-49 value in the attic.

Insulate all exterior outlets and electrical receptacle, and add weather-stripping insulation and a sufficient amount of caulk around your windows and doors, as this will reduce the flow of air in and out of your home.
Add an insulation wrap to your hot water heater, and wrap foam insulation around your hot water pipes.

Nearly 10 percent of your home's energy costs come from lighting. Changing out your incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent light bulbs can save you up to 25 percent on your lighting costs. Fluorescent light bulbs use less electricity, last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Although fluorescent lights cost a bit more than incandescent bulbs, they more than pay for themselves over their lifetime.

• Use lighting controls that reduce the amount of time lights are on.
• Turn off lights in rooms you are not using can.
• Use light where you need it instead of lighting the entire room or open your blinds to allow daylight into the room.
• For outdoor lighting, install a motion sensor for security lighting so they only turn on when someone is present.

Appliances can account for up to 20% of your home's energy consumption. When buying appliances and lighting for the home, there are two costs to consider. One obviously is the purchase price of the equipment. The second is the cost of operating the appliance during its lifetime, and that cost can add up to a lot more than the purchase price over the next 10 or 20 years.

Purchase appliances and lighting with the Energy Star logo. Energy Star approved products help save you money through their advanced construction and design. You can learn more about Energy Star approved appliances by going to: www.energystar.gov