1. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) approximate the glow of incandescent bulbs and use 75% less energy.
2. Use a Smart Power Strip. These strips sense when your computer or TV is asleep and electronically unplugs devices that depend on them, such as a printer or DVD player, until the controlling device wakes up.
3. Insulate your water heater. The newest electric water heaters have plenty of insulation. But if you have one built before 2004, wrap it in an insulating blanket and save 10% -- about $30 -- annually on your water-heating bill.
4. Turn down the heat. For every degree you lower your home's temperature during the heating season, subtract 5% from your bill, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. An Energy Star programmable thermostat ($70) saves more than twice its price within a year.
5. Set the washer to cold. Use cold water to wash your clothes and save 50% of the energy you would otherwise use for hot water. Set your dryer on the moisture sensor, not the timer, and cut energy use by 15%.
6. Dim the lights. Install light dimmers, which cut electricity use by the same percentage that they lower the light.
7. Stop drafts. As your father would say, don't heat the great outdoors. Put weatherstrip around the frames of your front and back doors and save about $30 per year in energy costs.
8. Lower your water temperature. Set your water heater at 120 degrees. If your heater does not have a temperature gauge, dial down until the water feels hot, not scalding. (Before going too low, make sure your dishwasher has a booster heater, which gets the temperature back to 140 degrees, necessary for proper cleaning.)
9. Use timers on lights. Install occupancy sensors or timers on lights in areas you use only occasionally and for exterior lights, which tend to get left on during the day, light timers can be easily installed by anyone with basic wiring skills.
10. Cover the hot tub. Hot tubs lose heat even with the top on. Float a thermal cover under the hard cover and cut energy use by one-third.