So you’ve adjusted your thermostat, you put in the compact fluorescent bulbs . . . you even composted a plastic potato fiber fork from the local burrito joint.  But, how can you stay comfortable, reduce your energy use and lower your bills this winter . . . without breaking the bank?

3 Energy Savers for Under $100:

1.  Use your head:
High efficiency shower heads
$25 – $85 – Pays for itself in 3 – 7 months

No longer do you need to drain your hot water tank in order to get the shampoo out of your hair.  While delivering the same high-performance and comfort you expect, the new generation low flow shower heads use a full gallon per minute (gpm) less than a traditional shower head and up to 3.5 gallons per minute less than models from the 1980s.  That means that a family of three can save over 11,000 gallons of hot water per year just by installing a 1.5 gpm shower head.

If you decide to keep your old shower head, it will cost you an extra 300 kilowatt hours annually, enough electricity to power your television for about a year.  That’s enough to pay for your new shower head.

Hansgrohe EcoAir 1.5 gpm

American Standard FloWise 1.5 gpm

Kohler Forte’ 1.75 gpm

2.  Kill the vampire:
Smart power strips
$30 – $100 – Pays for itself in 7 – 14 months

When you’re not watching TV . . . it sucks.  No kidding.  Even in the “off” mode your television still draws electricity from the socket.  With new smart power strips, when you turn off your computer or television all of your peripherals shut down as well – killing that vampire power.  Just click your remote and viola’ . . . the smart power strip shuts down your Wii, your surround sound and all those other gadgets which are useless when your TV is off.

3.  Hire a light fairy
Vacancy sensor light switches
$20 – $40 each – Pays for itself in

“Who left the @$#&!! lights on again?!!  I’m not your light fairy!!”  Enough screaming at the kids to turn out the lights.  About 60% of lighting costs goes toward lighting empty rooms.  So, it’s time to get yourself some high quality vacancy sensors.

The sensors detect when a space becomes vacant and turn lighting off automatically after a preset time delay elapses. Users manually turn lights on or off at any time by operating the ON/OFF button.  California now requires smart lighting switches like these in all new homes.

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Like the “SAVE WATER . . . . Shower Together” t-shirt on the homepage?  You can buy it at Zazzle.com

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