This video describes very easy things that you can do that will save you $20 on your energy bill during the month of May. And by “easy” we mean these tips can all be done at little or no cost.

So let's go through each of the following 5 tips:

1. Shorten showers by 30 seconds each: On average, energy costs are about 21 cents/minute for taking a hot shower. So by shortening your shower by 30 seconds, you save about 11.5 cents (helpful accessory: shower clock/timer). This may not seem like a lot, but when you multiply it by 20 showers a month for a family of four, this small adjustment to your shower time can save you $8 on your energy bill in May. And if you do this all year, it will save you almost $100.
   And even if you have already installed a low-flow shower head (which is great), reducing the time of your showers can still save you money on energy.

2. Change AC filters: Dirty air filters in your air conditioning unit increases your system’s energy usage by about 10%. This is because your air conditioner has to work harder to push air through a dirty filter (see types, costs, and reviews of AC air filters). So for an average electric bill of $60 for air conditioning in May, replacing your filter can save you $6. And if you do this all summer, it can save you about $25.

3. Raise AC by 10 degrees when gone: For every degree Fahrenheit above 68 degrees that you raise the set point on your air conditioning thermostat, you reduce your energy costs by 1-3%. So if you raise your set point by 10 degrees for 8 hours a day while you are gone at work, then for an average air conditioning bill of $60 for the month of May, you can save $3. And if you do this all summer, it can save you about $12.
   If you like coming home to a cooler house, then you can take the extra step of installing a programmable thermostat that you set to automatically have the temperature in your home go up and down at pre-set times (see costs and reviews of programmable thermostats).

4. Eliminate standby power for TV / cable box: As you have probably read in our previous Newsletters, vampire power sources, that is, appliances that continue to draw power even when they are turned off, can really take a bite out of your wallet. For example, even when turned off, your television’s cable box consumes about $18 per year in vampire power, and your television adds another $3. So for the month of May, leaving these plugged in when not in use will cost you about $2, which you can save by using a simple on/off power strip.
   And as we mentioned in our April 2011 Newsletter, if you use a programmable power outlet, then you can also include your Digital Video Recorder (“DVR”) box, which can save you an additional $3 in May, and about $40 for the entire year (helpful accessories: programmable wireless outlet remote controls; digital timers; energy-saving outlets).

5. Raise AC by 1 degree: And lastly, as we mentioned earlier, each degree Fahrenheit that you increase your air conditioning set point above 68 degrees will save you 1-3% on your system’s energy consumption. So if you wear cooler clothing, use a low-energy room fan, etc., and can become comfortable with having your home 1 degree higher, then for May you can add an additional $1 to this list of easy energy-saving tips for the month.
    

So hopefully these five tips have given you an easy way to save $20 on your energy bill for the month of May, and that you can also use these tips to continue saving your energy bills for the rest of the year.