What are some cheap and efficient alternative power options that will lower my electricity costs in my condo?

Here are a few more energy saving tips:

Change all your light bulbs to the relatively new GE 120VAC - Helical - they are 17 Watts and give off more and better light than the old school 100Watt bulbs! Plus they last a lot longer. Also, candle light is great if you are not in need of full-blown lighting.

Although they have the curled and taller bulb - I have yet to find a lamp in my house they don't fit into with the shade. Ceilings, of course, are no problem.

The cooking - BBQ when ever you can in summer so you never heat up your house needlessly.

Set your thermometer at 69 and Leave it there!! If you are gone - set it to auto switch (if you have auto) to 65 degrees F; if you have the electronic type - you can pre-set it to warm back up before you come home if you must; your plants are happier too! A sweater goes a long way.

In winter, if you have a fire place - use it! Unless it is not the type that is fresh-air fed as the other types suck heat OUT of your house.

If you are rural and building a new home, have a heat-pump installed - explained here:

http://www.thermaltecs.com/

And install triple pane windows, they cost more but the pay-back time is minimal. Cheap windows are the cause of most home heat loss; that and of course poor insulation. If you have cheap windows, cover them with plastic for the winter months. You can use regular, but the hairdryer shrink wrap is nicer as you can see through it clearly.

If you have an older home, be sure you put insulation around the bottom of your house before winter. If you live where there is snow, at snow banks to that all around the house.

If you will be away for more than 48 - 72 hours, unplug your electronics. If may seem small but it is not. Plasma TV's for example use a lot of power by simply being plugged in.

Unplug all your electronics, TV's, computers, etc...

And if you absolutley HAVE to leave on a light, make sure it is the aforementioned bulb that is on.