Becoming more energy efficient is a great way to potentially save money. Check out these energy-saving tips to get started.

Thinking back over the last few weeks and the cold weather we’ve been experiencing, how many times did you go and turn up your thermostat? With the days being shorter, have you noticed a change in how often, and long, you’ve needed your lights on?

All of these things impact energy consumption and the costs can add up quickly. Unfortunately, most times we don’t realize the financial impact until we receive our monthly bill. This is especially true during the winter months as our energy usage, and our bills, tend to increase due to the weather we’re experiencing.

When it comes to the power we use, there are many things we can do to reduce what we use and in turn, reduce the money we pay each month. SaskPower provided us with the following eight power-saving tips that can help the environment and reduce your power bill at the same time – and who doesn’t want that!

• Turn down the thermostat when no one is home. Cooling and heating represents approximately a quarter of residential power bills.

• Plug in your car with a timer. Even on the coldest nights, your vehicle only needs to be plugged in for four hours. Using a block heater timer can save you about $25 per year on your power bill.

• Turn off your lights when possible. Shorter days and longer nights mean interior lights in your home are on longer.

• Convert to LED lights. Along with shutting lights off, you can cut the electricity needed for lighting your home by three-quarters by using LED bulbs.

• Running a space heater 24/7 can be expensive. To help manage your energy costs, try extra blankets or a sweater first.

• Only preheat your oven for baking, and only if the recipe calls for it. Most foods like roasts and casseroles don’t need a preheated oven to cook properly.

• Use the right burner. Using a six-inch pot on an eight-inch burner on an electric stove can waste more than 40 percent of the burner’s heat.

• Check your fireplace. When it isn’t heating the room and warming your toes, a fireplace may be cooling your house. Make sure the damper is closed when the fireplace isn’t in use to keep cold air out and warm air in.

Throughout the year, also look for in-store rebate programs typically offered by SaskPower in the spring and fall. Through these programs you can purchase energy-efficient products at a discounted price, and in turn reduce your energy costs – that’s a double save right there!

In order to see a difference on your energy bills though, you’ll need to do some work and change behaviours to ensure you’re more energy conscious. A small change may not be as noticeable but when you make multiple changes, and look at the impact over a longer period of time, the results can be shocking.

There’s no better time to start than today. Create a plan on how you can become more energy efficient and figure out the necessary actions to take today!