Simple steps to save

Program your thermostat

You can trim up to 20 percent from your heating and cooling bills by adjusting temperatures 5 to 10 degrees at night or when you're not home. A programmable thermostat will make the setbacks for you. Devices cost about $80, and some utilities offer rebates.

Yearly savings $200

Adjust modes

Manufacturers often ship televisions in "retail mode" to ensure the best picture quality under bright showroom lights. But the more efficient "home mode" is fine for most types of viewing

Yearly savings $30 to $60

Tame hidden energy use

Between 5 and 10 percent of residential electricity goes to devices that draw power when they're off or in standby mode. Video games are a major offender. Turn them off when you pry the controls out of your kid's hands.

Yearly savings $125

Jettison the lead foot

Obeying speed limits and avoiding hard acceleration and braking will add several mpg to the fuel efficiency of your midsized car.

Yearly savings $200

Wash in cold water

Think that won't get your clothes clean? Think again. Tide 2X Ultra for Cold Water for traditional washers, which we tested using cold water, ranked best overall at removing grass, wine, and other tough stains in our tests.

Yearly savings $60

Stop pre-rinsing

Washing dishes before you put them in the dishwasher wastes up to 6,500 gallons of water per year, plus the cost to heat that water. And our tests show that it's unnecessary.

Yearly savings $75

Fix leaky ducts

Pay a qualified heating and cooling pro to seal and insulate heating and cooling ducts that run through your home, especially in unconditioned spaces.

Yearly savings $400