In today's day and age, conserving energy is not only cost efficient but it is also smart to do so for the environment. It may feel that just one household can't make a difference, but if every home does their part it will make a huge impact on the energy consumption of your city. There are so many wonderful ways that you can start conserving your energy. Check out the following ways you can start saving money and reducing your energy needs.

Determine How Your Energy Is Used

A very valuable first step is to figure out just how much energy you are using in your home at any given time. The best way to do this is to invest in a home energy monitor. You can purchase a system and have it installed so that you can start seeing your power use patterns. 

The monitor can help you see what items are the cause of any higher bills. Knowledge of your consumption and patterns will help you pinpoint the best ways that you can reduce your energy usage and your monthly bills. Many systems offer phone applications so that you can see in real time how power is being used in your home. The upfront cost of the program and installation will be easily recouped in how quickly you can control your power consumption.

Program Your Thermostat

Another smart item to invest in is automated or smart thermostats. If you aren't home for a large portion of the day it makes sense to keep your heating and cooling systems in check. With a programmable option, you can set each day to a pattern that best suits your schedule and the season. 

The extra benefit of investing in a smart thermostat would be for those that have a more varied schedule. You can still set a general schedule to conserve the most energy as possible while regulating your home's temperature, but with a smart thermostat you can easily make changes from an application on your phone. This will be especially helpful if you don't always know when you will be home or away.

Turn the Lights Off

Relying on natural light for most of the day is the best option if your home gets plenty of daylight. Depending on the situation of your home or the season of the year, daylight might not always be possible. You can still stay on top of your energy usage by only turning on lights in rooms which you are using. Remembering to turn off lights in rooms not being used will go much further on your electric bill than you would think.

Another way to make sure your lights are on only when you need them is to use smart light bulbs or automated timers. Instead of leaving a light on the whole time you are out on the town, you can turn it on easily with an application on your phone or have a pre-set timer that coincides with the schedule of when you normally return.

Use Power Strips Strategically

Another great way to keep your energy consumption low is to use power strips to reduce the drain of some items that are always plugged in. Items like video game systems, printers, and various chargers can all silently draw power even when they aren't being used. If you plug multiple items like that into a power strip, you can eliminate the silent usage by just turning the strip off when not in use. Everything will then become functional again only when you turn the strip back on and those items are actually being used. 

Reducing your energy usage doesn't have to be overly expensive or complicated. With proper investigation on how you are using power, you can make wise changes that will reduce your consumption and monthly bills. Small investments will make a big long term impact, so anyone can make a difference in conservation if they put in the effort.