Reducing your spending on utility bills is easy, by putting in place practical methods to reduce your gas, electricity and water costs over the year. Adjust your living habits by ensuring you are heating your home in an energy efficient manner. Try some of the water saving tips that have been included in this article such as changing showering times or cutting out baths. If you have the funds, installing a rain water tank is also a very efficient way to reduce water consumption. For homes with natural gas, looking for better ways to keep heat in will reduce your overall gas bill. To reduce your electricity bill you need to plan ahead for the future by inspecting any appliances that you purchase, looking specifically for energy efficient ratings that can result in large savings each year. Make sure that when leaving a room, all lights and appliances are switched off. Many modern TV’s and audio visual equipment enter in to standby modes when they are not in use, and while this is a good way to lower the energy consumption of the appliance, you can save more money by turning the device off at the wall outlet. If you need to use a clothes dryer, making sure you have a full load before putting items in can drastically reduce your electricity bill. Saving money on your water bill is often as simple as just taking a shorter shower or installing a water saving shower head. By showering for 30 seconds less each time, you can save up to 5 gallons of water, with the average shower using 6-10 gallons of water each minute. Make sure that there are no leaking taps (faucets) throughout your home, and also outside, for additional water savings. Furthermore, if you are able to install a rain water tank to capture rain run off, you will be able to benefit from tax breaks that your government may provide. If you have a large gas bill each month or quarter this is most likely due to the energy efficiency of your home. Your home may not be storing the heat that you generate via your gas heating effectively and you may wish to consider having some kind of insulation installed. The next time that you feel the need to put the heating on, try putting on an extra sweater or piece of warmer clothing to save the extra gas that you will be using to heat the house. The installation of a rain water tank to reduce your water bill, or the having insulation installed in your home, will give you great savings towards your monthly or quarterly utility bills. However, in the end, the responsibility is on those people living within the home to be disciplined enough to keep an eye on their electricity, water and gas usage, to reduce the costs significantly. Further reading – Solar Panels