by Laurie Childree

Created on: November 16, 2008   Last Updated: April 23, 2009

Effective ways to slash ever increasing electric bills are something that everyone needs in these hard economic times. Whether it's achieved through some repairs and upgrades to the home, cutting back on the use of electricity or a combination of the two it can be done. Slashing the electric bill doesn't mean doing sitting in the dark with no air or heat. It simply means changing a few habits and doing some basic upgrades to the home.

Home energy audits can sometimes be gotten for free from the local power company. These will allow you to see where you use the most electricity and help you identify problems in your home that can cause the electric bill to sky rocket. Things we never think about such as the refridgerator and freezer use energy all the time so you want the most efficent version. Basic repairs can help to lower that electric bill saving you a lot of money in the long run.

Things such as broken or cracked windows allow air to escape and outside air to come in. The windows can be replaced without having to go through the expense of replacing the entire thing. Take the measurements and go to your local window glass manufacture and see if they can't get you a piece of glass to fit your measurements. Once this is done simply take the old window pane from the window and caulk it in place just be sure not to touch it until it's had time to set. You'll see a difference soon and you can go a step farther and place plastic covering over the windows. It's available at most Wal-mart stores or home improvement stores and can be cut to fit the window; it's also rather simple to use. You'll see another result soon when you receive your electric bill.

Check the insulation in the home. Could another layer or two be used in the walls or the attic? Any insulation you add to the home will help to insure the temperature within the home is maintained. There is also weather striping and caulk that you can purchase in the local home improvement section of most any store to help you lower the electricity bill.

Leaks around windows and doors can cause the electric bill to increase as well. Getting rid of them by using caulk or weather striping will help to slash the electric bill some more. Blinds and curtains can help to block the suns rays in the hottest parts of the day and keep the cold air out when temperatures drop. Although opening them to let in natural light when you find outside temperatures to be pleasant can help prevent lights from being turned on early at night

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