My last power bill was a bit of a shock. How can I stay on top of power use in my house and lower my electric bills?

Cold pushes electric power bills higher. For those on a budget, a high winter power bill can be a shock. The good news is that you can keep those costs down by looking at how you use electricity in your home every day.

To get started, check out the “Compare Your Use” box, printed on your monthly statement sent by Clark Public Utilities. There you’ll find the kilowatt hours used at your meter by month and easily compare current usage with prior years.

A new online home energy calculator at http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com can help homeowners develop an energy management plan — click “home energy calculator” under “You have the power to save!” The questionnaire can help you determine how to best cut power use. The three easiest ways are by reducing heating costs, cutting lighting costs and using less hot water.

Heating costs

Close to half of a household’s utility bill goes toward heating and cooling. By sealing the leaks surrounding windows and doors and insulating the house consumers can reduce their energy needs by 10 percent whether the home is heated with electricity, natural gas or heating oil. A programmable thermostat can save another 10 percent. Other suggestions:

• Keep your thermostat set to the lowest comfortable setting. If possible, try to keep it set to 68 degrees or lower during the heating season.

• If your heat source is a furnace or heat pump, turn your heat down at night when you go to bed or when you aren’t home.

• Close your drapes on the south and west side of your home at night to keep heat inside. Open them during the day to allow the sun to help warm your home.

• If you have a fireplace, keep the damper closed when you aren’t using the fireplace. Make sure the coals have cooled before closing the damper.

• Keep your warm air outlets and filters clean. Arrange your furniture and window coverings so they don’t block airflow from registers or heaters.

Lighting strategies

• Where possible, replace incandescent light bulbs with low wattage compact fluorescent bulbs. Check to make sure the lumen output of the CFL bulbs is the same or greater than the incandescent bulbs they replace.

• Use timers, motion sensors or light sensors so security lights come on only when needed.

• Dust light bulbs and clean fixture covers to get the most light out of your fixtures.

Water heating

The average hot water heater in Clark County consumes about $28 a month in electricity, or close to $340 a year, as it heats water for bathing, dish washing and clothes cleaning. To reduce that expense set your water heater thermostat at 120 to 130 degrees.

• Wash only full loads in your clothes washer and dishwasher.

• If your washer has water level options, use the lowest practical level for anything less than a full load.

• On your dishwasher, use the “air dry” setting and other power-saving features.

Phantom power users

And what about those “phantom” power users? A smart phone charger, a computer or microwave will suck energy — and generate heat — as long as they’re attached to a power source. Such standby power accounts for an estimated 5 percent to 10 percent of residential electricity use, say the experts. Plug those devices into a power strip that can be turned off when not in use.

These and other tips can be found at http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com. Click on “33 Ways to Save Energy and Money,” under “Energy-saving tips.”

The Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities energy counselors, who provide conservation and energy use information to utility customers. Send questions to energyadviser@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, in care of Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA, 98668. Past topics are available at http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com.

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