Saving energy and saving money are synonymous but are you doing everything you can to reduce your homes' energy consumption? With that in mind, we've heard it time after time again to make simple switches that save energy and money like swapping out lightbulbs for CFLs and LEDs or upgrading showerheads and faucets to low-flowing alternatives. Well, there might be a few more energy saving hacks that you didn’t know about, so read on to learn more!

Window Tint When the sun beats down on your home, the rays can easily transfer unwelcomed heat through the windows, which of course, make the interior temperature uncomfortable – leaving most of us with the habit of turning the thermostat to a cooler temp. Obviously, this makes our AC unit work harder to cool our home and with the constant transference of heat, it might make the AC run all the time. Instead of letting the AC work overtime, consider applying window tint or film to all of your windows. Many home improvement stores have home window tint kits with reflective coatings than can help deter the transference of heat. Pair the tint/film with thermal-backed window curtains and it'll do an even better job at fending off the heat.

Insulate & Seal Duct Work This energy saving hack goes hand in hand with the above tip because it cuts down on energy consumption from the HVAC system. The duct work in your home is how the cooled or heated air travels from room to room and it's usually a network of tubes in the walls, floors and ceilings. Sometimes you'll be able to see the duct work in the attic or basement/crawlspace and if you can see the exposed duct work without any insulation, you probably are losing a ton of money. When duct work is not insulated, the cooled or heated air can leak out into unconditioned spaces and that can waste hundreds of dollars each year on electricity. Instead, insulate all duct work and seal duct joints to reduce the amount of cooled or heated air traveling in the system.

Solar Panels Want something that will always save money on your energy bill? Well, as long as the sun continues shine, you will be able to take advantage of the power that the sun can produce by harnessing its' energy from solar panels! Let's first talk about hacking the price of your utility bill and then the cost of solar panel installation. First, solar panels will reduce your need to consume energy from the power company. Plus, if your solar panels generate more power than you use, you might be able to sell power back to the utility company! Now, on to the cost of solar panel installation – it has dropped over 73% to install solar panels since the implementation of the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) in 2006.

Additionally, solar technology has become less expensive to manufacture, which translates into systems that are more affordable than ever before! If you want to hack your electric bill and reduce energy usage, follow these tips and start speaking with solar companies in the bay area today!