Understanding where your energy dollar goes can help you get the most for it. About half of your energy expenditures go to heating and cooling; a third to appliances and lighting, and about an eighth to water heating.

Heating and cooling: 40-50 percent

• Reducing space conditioning costs is a way to make significant reductions in your energy costs.

• During winter, set your thermostat as low as comfortable (68 or below) and as high as comfortable during summer.
• Check filters monthly and replace if necessary.
• Have your system serviced regularly.
• Seal leaky ducts.

Hot water: 15 percent

Water heating is usually the next highest piece of your energy dollar. Repairing leaky faucets and installing low-flow showerheads and faucets, important to help with the state's continuing water deficit, also help save water-heating costs. Other measures include:

• Reducing your water heater's temperature setting to 120 degrees F.
• Washing clothes in cold water.

Refrigerators and freezers: 10 to 15 percent

Because of federally mandated efficiency standards, refrigerator efficiency has made big strides in the last 20 years, so refrigeration's percentage of energy use has continued to drop. That also means that using an old refrigerator as a second refrigerator can take a significant bite out of your energy dollar.

Lighting: 6 percent

You can reduce lighting costs by more than half by replacing traditional incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights. You can also save by installing switches and timers to turn lights on and off automatically.

Laundry, kitchen and other appliances: 10 percent

Don't forget to look for the ENERGY STAR® label when replacing major appliances.

Household electronics: 12+ percent

Personal computers, televisions, DVD players, digital video recorders, cordless phones and other home electronics make up an increasing percentage of your energy spending. For example, upgrading your television from a conventional CRT model to a large-screen plasma can triple your energy use for television viewing. Also, many electronics use energy even when they're turned off. Reduce standby power costs by using a powerstrip that you turn off when you're not using these devices.

For more information about smart energy use, visit www.jacksonemc.com/smartenergy or read more about Right Choice's home checkup services.