According to experts everywhere, Americans will be seeing their electricity bills rise dramatically in the New Year. The cost of new federal regulations such as the coming carbon emissions tax will also likely be passed along to the consumer in the form of higher-than-expected fees for energy services of all kinds.

Here are some of the simple tips and strategies that we can all follow to get the most efficiency out of the energy we use…

TIP – Clean Your Kettle: With vinegar and baking soda… Not soap. If you use these natural cleaners, you will be able to remove the calcium build-up on the inside coils using a stiff brush. It will boil faster, and won’t take so much energy to get there!

TIP – Only Preheat Ovens When Necessary: Usually this procedure isn’t necessary unless you’re baking. Get anything else right in there, and make the most of the energy that you’re using.

TIP – Dish-Out The Right Stuff: When you load your dishwasher correctly the first time, you won’t run the risk of having to run some dishes through again when they come out unclean. If you have the budget, consult your local household appliance center to see some of the competitive pricing on new energy-saving brands, such as Energy Star™. These appliances also ‘pre-approve’ you for green energy tax rebates in most areas.

TIP – Use Elbow Grease Instead of Power: Don’t forget that people also managed to get their dishes clean for millenia before there were electric dishwashers: if you can spare the time, try doing them by hand. If you make a habit of cleaning your dishes as you use them, you’ll find that the task isn’t so intimidating. Even doing dishes by hand several times daily will use less water than running the dishwasher once… and it won’t use any power!

TIP – Maintain Your Appliances: If kept in good repair, clean, with sharp blades and clear filters (if applicable) your appliances will live longer and will operate a peak efficiency.

TIP – Thaw Frozen Foods: Also, allow time for frozen food to fully thaw, thereby cutting down the time and expense of cooking even more. Be sure to keep your oven door closed when it is running and resist the temptation to look too often. Did you know that even one look inside a hot oven can allow as much as 20% of the heat to escape?

TIP – Your Home Isn’t A Laundromat… So Stop Paying So Much: Be sure that you never overload your dryer, and make sure that what you do put in is balanced, loose and not bunched-up inside the drum… Not only wil this improve the efficiency and reduce the negative environmental impact of these prime energy-suckers, but it will also avoid shortening their lifespan and leading them to an early grave in the dump.

TIP – Bring Back The Clothes Line: If you want to eliminate the cost of running the dryer completely, then you need look no further than the infamous clothesline of the past… Remember those? It’s a little-known fact that clotheslines can be used in the winter months, too… They’ll just take a little more time. Not only will your clothes smell great, but you will also save time without so much endless ironing to do!

TIP – Upgrade Your Fridge: Home refigerators are always the biggest draw on your home energy consumption. If you own your home, look into grants and rebates for purchasing high-efficiency models. If you rent and pay your own bill, share these incentives with your landlord!

TIP – Cook Conservatively: Make sure that you are always using lids on pots while heating things on the stove, and try to match the size of the pot you are using with the element of the closest size… Not only will you you lose less heat when you cook, but lids will force you to cook at lower, slower temperatures which makes the finished product taste better, and saves you money! Consider picking up a small toaster oven for preparing small, or single-serving items instead of using the full-sized electric oven.

TIP – Use A Toaster Oven/Microwave When Possible: If only warming something small like leftovers, avoid using a full-sized oven for the best-possible efficiency.

TIP – Unplug Appliances When Not In Use: That’ right… Appliances left plugged-in continually draw small amounts of power, even when switched off! Everything from lamps to kitchen aids should be left unplugged when not in use to ensure that you’re not paying for power that you’re not using!

TIP – Wait Until Peak Periods Are Over: In most cities, periods of high power demands are often accompanied by higher premiums for power, and the number of municipalities enforcing these rate hikes is growing. So if you really need to use a lot of power to run one appliance or another it pays to wait until it comes a little cheaper (8PM in most areas).

TIP – Only Freeze Until Frozen: By maintaining an internal temperature of minus fifteen degrees you will not only be keeping your freezer at a low-cost operating power, while still providing more than enough cold to keep food frozen.