Making a home more energy efficient is one way to save money on monthly bills.

Larry and Monda Bendik are on a mission to make their home more energy efficient to do just that. The couple bought a new air conditioning unit and a new pool pump and saw the savings almost immediately. Their monthly electric bill went down more than $50 compared to the same month last year. Larry Bendik said, every bit counts.

“Especially when you’re retired like most of us around here are,” Larry said.

The Bendiks also got a free home energy audit from Tampa Electric to see if they can save even more money. Rick Ohl is a TECO auditor. He explained what he’s looking for.

“Looking for insulation or lack thereof, duct seal, if there’s ducts leaking, if there’s air leaking up into the attic cavity,” Ohl said.

Adding insulation, if needed, sealing ducts and changing air filters every month are the most effective ways to lower your bill.

Other ways to add savings include changing out your windows for double panes and adding dark tint where the sun hits.

Little things can add up too, like turning the temperature up one degree saves 6 to 8 percent on cooling costs, turning ceiling fans off when you’re not home during the day adds up to about $5 a day per fan, and changing out old, incandescent bulbs to new, compact fluorescent ones, you’ll use only one quarter of the electric energy.

More energy saving tips:

  • For the typical pool, it’s only necessary to run your pump for 6-8 hours a day in the summer and 3-4 hours in the winter.
  • Turn your heating and cooling system off if your house is unoccupied for more than four hours (This is best accomplished with a programmable thermostat, so it will be cool/warm when you return).
  • For vacation mode, leave your thermostat on 81 degrees.
  • Be sure to get a yearly tune-up for your heating & cooling system
  • Choose an air conditioning unit with a higher seasonal energy efficiency rating or SEER. The higher the SEER the more efficient the unit. If you replace your unit in Florida, you’ll be required to get at least a 13 SEER rating. For 15 or higher, you can receive a rebate.
  • A 13 watt compact fluorescent bulb lasts longer and offers the same brightness as a 60 watt incandescent, while using a lot less energy, but LED lights are truly the future. They’re still expensive, but last an extremely long time. Once you purchase an LED bulb, you likely won’t have to replace it for 10 years or more.
  • When you replace old appliances, be sure to purchase Energy Star appliances, which are more energy efficient.
  • Wash laundry in warm or cold water and rinse in cold water.
  • Clean the dryer’s lint after every load.
  • Set water heaters between 120 and 140 degrees.