Saving money is in style these days, and one big area where it’s easy to save money without sacrificing your lifestyle is on your utility bill.  Here are 7 tips to get you started.

Install A Programmable Thermostat - I saved a ton of money when I got one of these installed in my house.  At night in the winter I’d let the temperature drop to 62 degrees.  I was under the blankets and warm so it didn’t matter how cool the rest of the house was.  However, it was programmed so that by the time I was getting up, we were back at 70 degrees like nothing ever happened.

Seal Leaks – While getting new windows is typically the best solution, it’s also not cheap.  You can put plastic over drafty windows and use weather stripping to keep your old windows from letting out all the hot (or cool) air from your house.

Get Rid Of Incandescent Bulbs – It’s time for a better light bulb.  While white light LED bulbs are likely the future, they’re still pricey.  However, compact flourescent bulbs last up to 10 times longer and use 75% less energy than your standard light bulb.  They cost a little more initially but they more than make up for it over the course of their life.

Close Blinds and Curtains In The Summer – Help your air conditioner out by keeping the sun’s rays out of the house and close your blinds and curtains.

Use Fans - Ceiling fans are great if you’ve got them, the breeze helps the room feel cooler when you’re in it allowing you to set the thermostat higher in the summer.  However, make sure to turn the fans off when you leave the room – fans cool people, not rooms.

Get An On Demand Water Heater - A lot of energy goes to waste keeping water hot for when you need it.  Consider getting a tankless water heater that will still provide all the hot water you need.  The difference is no water is stored, it heats the water up only when you’re ready to use it.

Upgrade your appliances - If you have old appliances like a freezer or refrigerator, consider upgrading.  My grandparents upgraded their 40 year old refrigerator this summer and saved $50/month.  At that rate, it doesn’t take long to see a savings.  If you have an old furnace or air conditioner, your savings could be even more dramatic – I got a 92% efficient furance and air conditioner a couple years back and in the peak summer and winter months, saved over $100/month.

Water heating is a thermodynamic process that utilizes sources of energy to heat water above its normal temperature. Hot water is usually in very high demand in most homes for purposes of cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Using hot water for industrial applications is also common practice. Heating water at home has for a long time been done in water heaters such as kettles, which cannot provide a constant supply of hot water. The need for a constant hot water supply has brought to the use of relatively larger water heating appliances otherwise known as boilers to the forefront.

Water heaters are available in various types and sizes. The most common are the tank water heaters, designed to store water and utilize energy from sources such as electricity, geothermal and others to heat the water. These water heaters are specifically designed for industrial or commercial purposes and are often found in modestly large capacities. The common water heater sizes in this category include 30, 40, and 50-gallon units, which are the standard sizes. It is also possible to find tanks ranging from 2.5 gallons to 19 gallons.

Tankless water heaters are another type that have the ability to provide instant hot water whenever the need arises. These heaters do not require any storage capacity and can thus come in a variety of sizes. Tankless water heaters are small by design, often the size of a loaf of bread or even a laptop. In fact, the largest tankless water heater is rumored to be the size of a suitcase. Given their tiny size, tankless hot water heaters can actually be mounted on a wall and be operational. This gives them an edge over tank water heaters.

There are certain factors to consider when selecting the appropriate water heater for your needs. Water heater size will be a key element here as it determines the weight of the tank and has a direct bearing on the transport and delivery course. Another factor to consider is the after sales service i.e. how easy is it to access and replace parts. It is also important to look into the efficiency of the water heater and its convenience to use. With these factors in mind, you should easily be able to identify the water heater that satisfies your specifications.

It is equally important for you to be able to pick a water heater of the right size. This may necessitate a visit to the manufacturers’ sites and obtaining an update from the source. Alternatively, chatting up an experienced contractor can give you valuable insight on the size that suits you. When it comes to size, tankless water heating technology seem to have an edge. They have a reputation for being efficient and provide a longer lifespan. Anyone wishing to buy a water heater would do well not just to go looking for affordability, but also the right size that fits well with the space that he or she has for installation.

There are a lot of different High Efficiency Water Heaters on the market today. Why should you buy this kind of water heater, since it still has a holding tank? Many still have a hard time getting their mind out of the box when it comes to hot water. People think that in order to have a lot of hot water, you need some kind of tank system.

While this isn’t necessarily true, not to worry, there are plenty of high efficiency water heaters out there, with conventional holding tanks. When picking out your next hot water heater, it is important to keep some terminology in mind. This will keep confusion down, and you won’t feel stupid when you are in the store.

One important thing to remember is the first hour rating, or FHR. This measures the amount of hot water available during peak hours, when energy use overall is going to be the highest. However, just because you go with a large tank, doesn’t mean it will have a high FHR, the measurement just indicates the heater’s ability to make hot water as it flows from the tank.

Efficiency is measured as an Energy Factor, or EF. This is usually listed on the side of the tank, with a big yellow sticker that says Energy Star. The higher the number listed is, the greater the savings you have. All new high efficiency water heaters carry the Energy Star symbol, and you should always look at these for the highest number rating.

Energy Star is a partnership between the government, and over 9,000 other organizations, including over 3,500 of the nations’ top homebuilders. Together with homebuyers, they are working towards an important goal, changing and protecting the environment for generations to come, by providing quality, energy efficient appliances to families today. Energy Star is backed by the government, and there are many products, besides high efficiency water heaters, that carry the Energy Star symbol.

You can find high efficiency water heaters in many places online and in local home improvement outlets. Be sure that you have thought about what you want first, what your water usage demands are, how many gallons you may use, etc. Don’t think that a big giant tank will be your best bet. No matter how efficient your tank is, it is still going to take time to heat up water to the right temperature.

If you and your spouse are the only ones using hot water now, with the kids grown up, you may want to consider a smaller tank, 40gallons or less is a good idea. You may not be able to take a shower, wash dishes, and run the clothes washer at the same time, but no one should be doing all those things at once anyway.

Now you while you will be able to find these appliances pretty much anywhere household items are sold, it might be a good idea the check and see if there is a Habitat for Humanity thrift store in your area. Habitat for Humanity receives donations from appliance companies all over the country, and in some cases, can’t use all of the donated items. So they offer their extras to the general public, at reduced, but competitive prices, and all the profits go back into Habitat for Humanity.

The first thing you will have to understand about on demand hot water heaters is there is not tank to have to deal with, and can often be placed in spaces you could never fit a tank heater, no matter how small it was. In order to understand this, here is how on demand hot water heaters work.

Usually you have a heater casing, and depending on the size of the heater, it could fit easily under a kitchen sink. On demand water heaters contain two coils inside a case. The first coil contains water. You cold water line comes on one side, coils around and around in the box, and out the ‘hot’ side. Then another heating coil wraps around the first one. Also, the cold water goes through, it s heated up and comes out the other side as hot water.

One of the biggest benefits of an on demand hot water heater is that there is no large tank storing hot water, which cool down after usage and have to be heated back up. Imagine how much money is wasted every day having to keep fifty gallons of water at 120degrees all the time. With an on demand, the only storage is in the coil, and it’s heated as you need it.

Because you aren’t keeping many gallons of water heated all day long, you save a bunch of money over the initial costs, and are available in both electric and gas models, even ones using LP gas. While electrical units do save you money, the best ones, that heat up water quickly safely as without many problems, gas heater is your best bet, especially if you have gas available in your area.

You should really look around before you buy, because it is a big investment. You are looking to spend up to and over a thousand dollars for a quality unit, any that has any kind of warranty or guarantee. If you see one advertised without a warranty, don’t buy it. Right now, Paloma, Takagi USA, and Bosch seem to be among the top brands.

For sure, just like your normal tank hot water heater, the more demand you put on your unit, the longer it will take to heat the water. You are also going to find that the less distance between the heater and the faucet, or usage the better. Take some time and think about where you will need it the most, or even better yet, install two instead. You can use the larger one close to a well used area, like bathrooms or laundry, and a smaller unit for under the kitchen sink, which can also be used for the dishwasher.

For more energy savings, some units that run on electricity, also run from a solar panel. These can be ideal for lesser used hot water demands, like a pool or hot tub. Solar can run a variety of different things, including your whole house. The nice part about using solar to power an on demand hot water heater, is you can still have a nice hot shower, even in a power outage.

Finding a retailer for an on demand hot water heater isn’t hard, either online or at a local home improvement retailer. While it is a good idea to put these heaters in new construction, you can easily adapt one to fit your own needs.