Do your energy bills fill you with dread? Do they make you want to scream and shout and then curl up in the fetal position and cry yourself to sleep? Me too! That’s why I did just a tiny bit of Googling and discovered 5 absurdly simple ways to lower my energy bills. Here are the secrets to saving...

Turn off that fricking fan! Contrary to popular belief, fans do not actually cool down a room. They simply circulate air, causing your living spaces to feel less stagnate and thus making you feel cooler.

When you leave for the day, turn your fan off. There’s no one there to feel the illusion, and your apartment will still be the exact temperature when you return. Of course, if the room is a bit stale when you get home, just turn the fan back on and you’ll be feeling fresh in a matter of minutes.

Check your fridge temp. Most of us probably have no clue what temperature our refrigerator and freezers are set at, and some of us probably didn’t even know that we have any say in the matter. We do.

When you get home tonight, slide those nasty leftovers to the side and find your refrigerators temperature gauge. (It’s usually located in the rear top right corner somewhere, along with the gauge for the freezer.) If your refrigerator is set below 38 degrees Fahrenheit, you’re wasting money. If your freezer is set below 5 degrees Fahrenheit, you’re wasting money. Stop wasting money.

Phantom loads Lol, what? It’s actually a phrase the experts use to describe the amount of power being used by those devices that are turned off or placed in stand-by mode. It’s estimated that phantom loads are responsible for as much as 10% of your monthly energy bill.

To reduce these costs, unplug chargers, microwaves, toasters, and gaming consoles when you aren’t using them. Additionally, plug all of your media components into a single power strip and turn off the power strip when not in use. Lastly, make sure that your computer is set to go into sleep mode when not in use for more than 10 minutes.

Chill on the AC During the dog days of summer, our first impulse is to blast the air conditioning, energy bills be damned. The smarter approach is to find ways to decrease the heat in your home before cranking up the Freon.

First off, keep any lamps or other heat generating devices away from your thermostat. They trick the thermostat into thinking that your living space is hotter than it actually is, which cause the AC to kick in unnecessarily. Another tip is to switch out incandescent light bulbs in favor of CFL or LED bulbs. These are far more energy efficient and radiate less heat. Also, keep your blinds drawn during the peak heat hours of the day, and don’t run appliances such as your dryer or dishwasher until after the sun has gone down.

Lower the hot water heater’s temp. We get it. Hot showers are the best. But are they really that great in the middle of July when it’s already 95 degrees? We’re not suggesting that you take cold showers only, but we are suggesting that you lower your hot water heater’s thermostat.

Water heating already drains about 18% of your monthly energy bill, so lowering the temp even a little could save you a pretty penny. Usually the default setting for a hot water heater is 140 degrees, but according to the Department of Energy, 120 degrees is plenty hot for most functions. The exception here is that some dishwashers require at least 140 degree water to work efficiently, so be sure to check your manual before messing with the water heater.

Now that you recognize the error of your ways, prepare for drastically lower energy bills every month. Enjoy that extra cash, you deserve it. If you're looking to save even more money, adding a roommate is always a great idea!