Doing more with less energy, or being energy efficient, is a major cost saver for your monthly household expenses and benefits the environment in numerous ways. Here are 5 no cost ways to save energy that can help keep your energy costs under control. If every household practiced just a few simple conservation ideas like the 101 easy ways to save below, we could reduce energy consumption by a significant amount.

1. Dress for your environment. This is such a simple way to save energy but often overlooked. If you’re cold, don’t turn up the heat, put on a sweater and have a cup of hot tea. If you’re hot, don’t blast your air conditioning, wear loose cotton clothing and grab a glass of ice water. Bottom line, dress for the weather.
2. Use cold water to wash your clothing when appropriate. You can also ensure your washing clothes efficiently by selecting the shortest washing cycle you can and waiting until you have a full load of clothes to wash. According to gov, heating water can account for “14 to 25 percent of the energy consumed in your home.”
3. Run your refrigerator efficiently. Since the refrigerator is always on, it’s one of the most expensive appliances to run in your home. To make sure it is running efficiently and not using more energy than necessary, make sure the seal on the door is tight. If not, cold air will escape and it will use more energy. Also, the most energy efficient temperature for your fridge, according to Energy Star, is 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
   
4. Keep vents and registers clean. Make sure to vacuum vents and registers frequently, not only will this help them work more efficiently but will also keep your indoor air cleaner. Also, check to be sure you don’t have curtains or furniture blocking air flow into your home. If it’s unavoidable have furniture covering a vent, use deflectors or vent extenders to direct air under tables and chairs.
5. During your hot months, keep unnecessary lights off and wait until it’s the coolest part of the day to use heat-producing appliances like ovens and clothes dryers. It’s also an energy saver to keep the curtains closed on south- and west-facing windows during the hottest part of the day.

There are so many easy ways to save energy around your home, these are just a few. For more ways to up your energy efficiency game, visit http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/live_green/energy_efficiency/.