The first steps to reducing the amount of energy you use in your home are simple, no-cost modifications – taking shorter showers, washing clothes in warm or cold water instead of hot, keeping dryer lint traps clean, skipping the dry cycle on the dishwasher and turning lights, televisions and computers off when not in use.

Beyond that, the most cost-effective option with the quickest return on your investment is to replace standard incandescent light bulbs with new compact fluorescent bulbs.

Replacing a single 60-watt light bulb with a 60-watt equivalent compact fluorescent light bulb, which draws between 13 and 15 watts, can save homeowners, on average, $1 a month per socket, according to Efficiency Maine, an initiative to promote the more efficient use of electricity and help residents and businesses reduce energy costs.

With prices for the bulbs ranging from $2 to $5 each, Efficiency Maine says, homeowners will see the payback in two to five months. And they last 6,000 to 10,000 hours, or five to 10 years, as opposed to regular light bulbs, which last 750 to 1,000 hours, or less than a year.”

If you can’t afford to replace every light bulb in your home right away – the average home has 45, according to a study by Popular Mechanics – start with the ones you tend to use most, like those in kitchens, bathrooms and family rooms, and replace other incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient bulbs as they burn out.

One thing to keep in mind, is that the compact versions – like all fluorescent light bulbs – contain small amounts (5 milligrams) of mercury. This means the bulbs cannot be thrown in the regular trash when they eventually wear out, and any accidental breaks must be cleaned up according to guidelines established by the Environmental Protection Agency, available online at www.epa.gov/hg.

Nearly two-thirds of retailers in the state that sell compact fluorescent light bulbs offer recycling programs, in which you take the used bulb back the store and place it in a collection box. A complete list of retailers who recycle these bulbs is available online at www.efficiencymaine.com/residential_programs_esrl_rl.htm.

‘KILL A WATT’

If you’ve changed your habits and began replacing light bulbs, but still get sticker shock whenever you open your electric bill, it might be time to do some detective work.

Sometimes, it might be as obvious as that 20-year-old refrigerator chugging away in the kitchen. According to Efficiency Maine, if your refrigerator is more than 10 or 12 years old and you can hear the compressor running all the time, you might want to think about upgrading to an Energy Star-rated appliance.

The U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency award “Energy Stars” to appliances that incorporate advanced technologies and use 10 to 50 percent less energy and water than standard models.

Energy Star-rated refrigerators range in price between $500 and more than $2,500 at the big box stores, like Lowe’s, which was named 2009 Energy Star Retail Partner of the Year for the seventh year in a row by the Environmental Protection Agency.

“When buying an appliance, remember that it has two price tags: what you pay to take it home and what you pay for the energy and water it uses,” according to the Web site www.energystar.gov. “The money you save on your utility bills can more than make up for the cost of a more expensive but more efficient Energy Star model.”

While shelling out that kind of money isn’t something a lot of people can afford to do right now unless their fridge is on its last legs, even if you save $10 or $15 a month [in energy costs], in three to five years it could pay for itself.

Besides the refrigerator, which accounts for around 13 percent of home electricity use each month, water heaters, dehumidifiers, dryers and air conditioners are the next biggest culprits.

To find out how much energy a particular appliance is using and determine if it may be time to unplug or replace it, check out a Kill-A-Watt Electricity Monitor free of charge from your local library. The program is wildly popular, according to an Efficiency Maine spokesperson, and there may be a waiting list, but can ultimately help identify “energy thieves” and “phantom loads,” like kitchen appliances, home entertainment equipment and computers, which use up to 75 percent of the electricity it takes to power them when they are turned off.

HOME EVALUATION

A study conducted last year by Efficiency Maine revealed that 80 percent of homes built within the last three years would not meet pass current state building codes for insulation, the initiative’s residential program director said.

One way to determine if you are losing heat – and money – out windows and doors or through the basement or attic is to call in a certified Maine Home Performance evaluator, who will look at the condition of your home and use technologically advanced equipment to identify “heat sinks” and quantify energy loss.

An infrared scan might show where there is settled or missing insulation, and a blower door test, in which the evaluator will pressurize the home and measure pressure lost, might reveal where you have leaks in the house.

The process isn’t cheap – about $400 for the evaluation, plus the cost of any work that needs to be done and a follow-up test – but may be worth it for some homeowners in the long run.For more on Kill-A-Watt, Maine Home Performance or other programs, go online to www.efficiencymaine.com

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A room-by-room guide to a more ?energy-efficient home

The following no- or low-cost options will give you the most bang for your non-buck, according to Efficiency Maine. For a complete list of tips to help save money on your electric bill each month, call Efficiency Maine at (866) 376-2463 and ask for a brochure, or go online to www.efficiencymaine.com.

ALL ROOMS

Save 25 to 30 gallons of heating oil per year by turning your thermostat down 1 degree.

Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps, which use one-third the amount of energy as a standard bulb and last 10 times longer. Keep bulbs and fixtures clean and turn off lights whenever they are not needed.

KITCHEN

Make sure your refrigerator and freezer are not running too cold. The temperature in your refrigerator should be between 38 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and the freezer, 0 to 5 degrees.

Keep refrigerator coils clean.

Check to be sure the seals on your refrigerator, freezer and oven doors fit tightly.

Try to use microwave ovens only for reheating and cooking small quantities of food.

Operate your dishwasher at full capacity and avoid using the drying cycle.

LAUNDRY ROOM

Load the washing machine to capacity or match the water level to the size of the load. Wash clothes in warm or cold water and rinse in cold water.

Dry full loads, being careful not to overfill, and clean the dryer filter after each use.

Use a clothesline or wooden rack to dry clothes.

UTILITY ROOM

Make sure the boiler or furnace is cleaned and serviced by qualified personnel and all heating and cooling ducts are sealed for optimum efficiency, saving up to 10 percent on fuel costs.

Set your water heater thermostat at the lowest temperature that provides enough hot water for your home, but not lower than 120° F, and wrap your water heater with a water heater blanket, especially if it’s in an unheated area of your home like the basement. The blanket could save you up to 10 percent on water heating costs.

BATHROOM

Install energy-saving shower heads to reduce hot water use and cut water costs by 10 to 16 percent at an average monthly savings of $6, based on a family of four taking 10-minute showers daily.

Repair all leaky faucets. One drop per second can waste as much as 10 gallons of water in a week.

Use exhaust fans sparingly. They can remove a houseful of warmed or cooled air in just one hour.

Compact fluorescent light (CFL) light bulbs may cost marginally more than traditional light bulbs, but they consume far less energy and can last for years.