Top 5 Energy-Guzzling Appliances

This story was originally published on AOL on August 18, 2008

SURE, RELIGIOUSLY SHUTTING down your computer at night and using efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs can help lower your energy bills. But such small moves put little more than a dent in your total monthly tab.

Thanks to higher fuel and energy costs, the average household will shell out $2,350 on electricity and gas this year, up from $2,100 in 2007, predicts the Alliance to Save Energy.

To really make those bills more manageable, go after the biggest energy guzzlers in your home: the major appliances. Here are the five worst offenders and how to pare down their costs:

How to cut your bill: Program the thermostat so that the HVAC system doesn't have to work as hard while you're at work or asleep, advises Vargas. By Energy Star estimates, you'll save $180 annually by reducing the temperature by just two degrees in the winter, and adjusting the air-conditioner two degrees higher in the summer. (Other ways to improve efficiency include sealing air leaks and maintenance. Click here for more.)

How to cut your bill: Dial down the heater's temperature to 120 degrees from the standard 140 degrees, advises Jennifer Thorne Amann, senior associate at American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. "That's a perfectly adequate temperature for all the hot-water needs in your household," she says. Lowering the temperature 20 degrees reduces your annual bill by 6% to 10%, or $18 to $30. Another trick: Wash clothes in cold water only, suggests Amann. That alone can cut your bill by another $73 a year, while keeping your clothes just as clean.