Tip of the week: How to cut energy bills

Start with the kitchen. Remove old items from the refrigerator regularly to improve air circulation and spare the compressor. Make meals in a “slow-cooker,” which uses 22 times less power than an electric oven.

Get the house in order. Purchase a “programmable thermostat,” which can save the average household up to $150 a year. Buy an energy-efficient pet door to minimize heat loss. Install furnace filter alarms, which whistle when filters are dirty. Clothes dryers are a “major electricity drain”; use indoor drying racks.

Get smart. Watch for “vampire power” from appliances that are off but still plugged in. To make sure that doors and hinges close with the “best possible seal,” keep them well lubricated. “Reverse ceiling fan rotation” to counter-clockwise, which “forces warm air back down into the room.”

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Source: Ladies’ Home Journal