Did you just buy a new home? If you’re coming from a townhome or apartment, the costs associated with moving into a new home may be surprising. But, there is one way to lower your expenses while also doing your part to live an eco-friendlier lifestyle. What is it? Cutting back on electricity! Here are some ways you can get started in your new home:

Use a power strip.

Some appliances continue to consume energy even when they’re turned off as long as they are plugged into an electrical outlet. These vampire devices need to be stopped in order to conserve electricity, but how? Plug as many devices as possible into a power strip and flip the switch on the strip when the devices are not in use. Turning off a power strip will shut off the electricity flow so nothing is wasted while your devices are shut down.

Buy energy efficient bulbs.

Don’t just buy any old light bulb—make sure you are choosing compact fluorescent bulbs, which use around 75% less energy and last up to 10 times as long as standard bulbs. Although these bulbs are a bit more expensive than traditional light bulbs, they will pay for themselves in no time.

Control the lighting.

Because lighting accounts for such a large portion of your home’s electricity use, it’s important to pay close attention to how you are using it. Consider adding dimmer switches to your lights inside so you can adjust the brightness of overhead lights and conserve energy when it’s not needed. Outside, use motion sensor lights that only turn on when they spot something within range. Both of these lighting controls will help you significantly reduce your electricity use.

Choose Energy Star appliances.

If your home came without appliances in the kitchen or laundry room, use this opportunity to buy Energy Star appliances, which are much more energy efficient than traditional models. For example, an Energy Star refrigerator uses about 9% less energy than other models, and over five years, this adds up to be about $260 in savings!

Turn the refrigerator temperature down.

Whether you have an Energy Star model or not, there are still ways you can reduce the amount of electricity your refrigerator uses. Turn the temperature down to 37 degrees in the refrigerator, and around 3 degrees in the freezer. These temperatures are low enough to preserve your food, but not so low that your refrigerator will waste energy.

Air dry your clothes.

Instead of using electricity to turn on your dryer, why not invest in an inexpensive drying rack where you can lay your clothes and allow them to air dry? Not only does air drying conserve electricity, but it can also preserve the quality of some fabrics that don’t hold up well in the dryer.

So you see, saving electricity doesn’t mean living in the dark or sacrificing comfort! With these simple tips, you can start to reduce your electricity use—and the amount you owe your electric company, too!