One of the best ways you can save money on a day to day basis is in your home. The trend in homes is to go green, but there are ways to save money on utilities without making huge changes, or doing big remodels. Of course, some of those huge changes are worthwhile and will save you money in the long run. Not only will making some changes help you save money, but it will also have a positive impact on the environment. The following are some simple things you can do in your home to cut down your utilities, and save hundreds of dollars a year.

Number one: Save on your lights.

The first thing you can do to save on lighting your home is to replace all your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They are going to save you money in a couple of ways, for one they last longer, so even though they cost more upfront, you replace them less often, and second they use less energy. Some compact fluorescent bulbs even produce less heat, so you do not have to cool your home as much. Even if this is a switch you are not wanting to make, you are out of luck as fairly soon you won't even be able to find the incandescent light bulbs because the government has mandated that only energy-efficient light bulbs will be produced and sold.

The next thing you can do to save on lights is to turn them off when you are not using them. Too many people leave the lights on in their homes in rooms they are not in or using, or even sometimes when they leave their home. Make a habit of turning lights off as you leave rooms in order to save on electricity. In addition to that, during the day and even early evening, open your curtains and your blinds and use natural lights.

Number two: Save on heating and cooling.

The first thing you can do to save on heating and cooling your home is to get a programmable thermostat. When you are at work or out of the house for a specified amount of time, you can set your thermostat so that you are not cooling or heating an empty house. Instead you can have it come back on right before you get home so that your house is at the temperature you want it to be at.

Save additional money by balancing your home temperature by improving insulation in your attic. Poor insulation usually means your AC has to work harder to cool your house, and your heater has to work harder to heat it, meaning you are going to have higher utility bills.

You can also save money on utilities by cleaning your air ducts and vents regularly. Also, be sure to close the air vents for the rooms in your home that you do not need to heat or cool, and shut the door. If you close the air vent, and shut the door, then your heater or AC won't work to regulate the temperature in that room. Also, do not leave air vents fully open, open them about half way for better temperature regulation.

Set your temperature lower in the winter and keep it there. It will not take you long to get used to using blankets and warmer clothes in your home, and the gas or electricity saved in just a few degrees difference can greatly impact the amount of your bill. You can also heat your home other ways like by baking. If you get really cold, make some cocoa.

Weather strip your doors and windows. You can purchase weather stripping for a minimal cost, and by weather stripping that small ¼ inch gap along the bottom of your door, you will save a bundle on utilities. That little space allows your cool air to seep outside and vise-versa.

While this can be a big expense initially, if you have an older home, consider installing new windows. The low-e glass, and the tighter seals can really make a noticeable difference in your utility bills. If you do not have the budget to replace the windows, cover them with a heavy plastic, to prevent warm or cool air in or out. You will likely see a difference.

Another thing you can do to save on your heating and cooling is to insulate your garage. The room above the garage and right next to the garage will lose heat or air conditioning if your garage is not insulated. Insulation is cheap, cheap, cheap, and can make a big difference in your utility bills, so buy some.

Number three: Save on water.

This is not water exactly, but relates to it, so save money on utilities by turning down the temperature on your water heater. Most water heaters will allow you to turn up the temperature to 180 degrees. While hot water is important for clean dishes, your water does not have to be that hot, and turning it down some can save you a lot of money.

A good option for saving money that is less expensive than most people think is to install low flow toilets and shower heads in your bathrooms. This is best if you have good water pressure in your home, as it might make showering not as nice otherwise. However, these use about half the amount of water, and thus reduce your water bill.

Another way to save on water is to make your shower a few degrees cooler or shower for a few minutes less. Making your shower shorter can reduce water waste. It is nice to sit in the water a while after you are clean, but you will save on your utilities if you can cut down on that.

A low flow toilet uses only 1.5 to 2 gallons of water per flush instead of 5 gallons per flush. Installing and using a new toilet, especially if your home is older, will drastically reduce your total water usage. If you do not want to buy a new toilet, reduce the amount of water yourself by putting something in your toilet tank to displace some of the water and cause it to use less. The downside is that they may not flush as well.

You can also save water by installing new faucets or installing aerator screens on all of your faucets. The aerator screen increases the power of your water stream as it comes out of the faucet so that you do not have to have as much water to get the pressure you want for cleaning.

Also be sure to check all your faucets and spigots to make sure none of them are leaking or dripping. Even a slow dripping faucet can accumulate over 2 gallons of water per hour, which can greatly increase your water bill. Contact a plumber to inspect and tighten your pipes to prevent leakage, it will cost you about $85/hr, but you will get a return on that.

Lastly, to save on water avoid watering your lawn during the day, as the sun will evaporate much of the water, and your watering will be less effective. If you do water during the day you will have to water more often. You should water your lawn in the early morning hours 2-8am.

Number four: Do some extras.

There are some ways to save on utilities in the long run, such as landscape your yard with trees. Once full grown, trees provide shade to the grass and cause you to use less water on your lawn, as well as shade to your home to keep it cooler in the summer.

Use fans to cool your home in the summer instead of your air conditioner if you can help it. Get a couple of portable fans that you can move based on where the sun is, and simply put the fans on the side of the house in the shade so that it circulates cooler air in your home.

If possible, try to avoid using a clothes dryer if the weather is nice enough for you to hang your clothes to dry. Dryers use up a lot of electricity and greatly increase your utility bill.

Number five: Turn off the TV.

Turn off the television when you are not using it. Leaving the television on is the number one electricity waster, and a common cause of high utility bills in families. Turn off the television before you go to sleep and never leave it on when you are not home. Also, try to avoid having it on for background noise, turn it on only when you want to use it. You can also apply this to other electronics. You do not need to leave things plugged in when you are not using them. In many cases you are paying to have little lights on. Any appliance or electronic left plugged in will draw small amounts of power throughout the day and night.

Pay your utilities on time for further savings, and just be a little more conscious of how small things make a difference in the cost of your utilities.