There are so many other things my family would love to spend money on besides a costly energy bill. Even though my kids are still pretty little (7, 5 & 4) we try to teach them about saving energy at home not only because it costs money but because it also effects the environment. Every morning before we leave the house I have the kids do a quick check to make sure all of the lights are off in the house. When we are home during the day I point out that we don’t even need to use the lights. We have skylights and very large windows that let in plenty of light throughout our whole house. Here are a few other things we do to save money on our energy bill so that we can splurge on fun!:
This is our thermostat. Yes, it is set at 55 degrees. I know some people probably think we are crazy but we save a ton of money not keeping the house tropically warm. We wear sweatshirts and snuggle with blankets and are perfectly happy. 
We do have a couple of these strategically placed wall heater timers for an extra bump of heat. They work really well. We have one in our bedroom, the bathrooms and one in the dining room. The room heats up really quickly so we can set it for 10 minutes and forget about it. They’re perfect for chilly mornings!
Another thing we do to save energy that might be a little non-conventional is wearing some items of clothing more than once. Adult jeans get worn several times before being washed. We always wear undershirts so things like sweatshirts and sweaters also usually get worn multiple times. What can I say? I hate doing extra laundry and since this saves time, money, and energy I suggest everyone give it a try! I honestly don’t know how much money and energy this saves but considering water and power I’m sure it adds up over the course of a year. And a penny saved is a penny earned, right?
Another way we save money is by purchasing EnergyStar appliances. This ensures that our appliances are as energy efficient as possible. Do your research and plan ahead when shopping for appliances. Did you know that you can actually get special rebates for purchasing energy efficient products and appliances? Check PG&E’s rebate catalog to find out which products qualify. Don’t forget to recycle your old refrigerator when you get a new one. You can get a rebate for that too!
These are just a few of the ways we save on energy so we can spend the money on things that are more fun. PG&E has an awesome list of energy saving tips that can save you a bundle. Most of them are really easy to do — many of them just one-time projects like installing efficient shower heads or programing your thermostat. Plan your next project by focusing on a specific area of your house with this Money Saver Tool.
If you are really looking to make a big impact, you might consider a plug-in electric vehicle. I know a family locally that owns two of these. The document their family experiences with blog called “Are We There Yet?” that gives a real inside look at what it’s like to own one of these vehicles.
PG&E is hosting a fun contest with chances to win one of seven $100 Home Depot Gift Cards. Running through 11/23, participants can post a photo to Instagram following the contest’s daily prompts and using the hashtags #PGEHome and #PhotoChallenge (+ the daily prompt hashtag). You can find out more on the PG&E Instagram page. Have fun and good luck!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.