(BPRW/FAMU-TALLAHASSEE) – Kedra White, 22, said she never paid attention to the amount of energy she was using at home. White, a fourth year Health Information System student at Florida A&M University, said sharing a house with three other girls who split the utility bill was all she cared about. The Jacksonville native said she never realized she was wasting energy and money in the process.

According to www.talgov.com, sixty percent of the energy used in a household is attributed to heating and cooling. The other forty percent is due to water heating, refrigeration, and lighting. The biggest opportunity for energy reduction and saving money lies in heating and cooling your house.

There are energy saving tips you can take to save money, according to www.talgov.com. Occupants should set their thermostats at 78 degrees during the summer and 68 degrees during the winter. Also, when setting the fan selection, always select “auto,” never “on.” The system’s air filter should be clean and if it’s not, it should be replaced because dirty filters increase cooling and heating costs.

Households account for around twenty percent of total energy consumption in the United States, spending more than $1900 a year on energy bills according to Energy Information Administration. We can all follow energy tips to reduce energy consumption in the U.S. while keeping more money in our pockets. “I have to be more energy conscious from now on and so do my roommates,” said White.

For energy smart tips, go to:http://www.talgov.com/you/energytips.cfm.