The temperatures here in town have steadily been rising. At an Open House on Sunday I saw a thermometer that was definately above 105 degrees, IN THE SHADE. At he same time, gas prices have dropped a little ($2.70 at T&C on Knickerbocker) but it is just insane when adding up all these costs for my budget. I am sure most San Angelo residents are feeling this same pinch on their pocket. Here is a list of some money/energy saving ideas that are fairly common sense, but can be easily forgotten. I hope this helps!!

1. Don't use the oven. Use a microwave oven, or use a barbecue grill.

2. Use a slow cooker to prepare one dish meals without adding heat to the house.

3. Put lids on pans to hold the heat in while cooking.

4. Most hot water heaters have thermostats that may be set to 140 degrees for hot water. This usually isn't necessary--turn the thermostat down to 120 or 115. 5

. You've probably heard that taking a bath uses less water than a shower. That may be true, but if you take a short shower, say about 5 minutes, you'll only be using one third of the amount of hot water than you would with a bath.

6. Don't use the drying function in your dishwasher. Let the dishes air-dry.

7. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Dry your clothes on hangars or outside.

8. Try to do any ironing at one time to prevent having to heat the iron several times.

9. Do "wet" chores in the early morning or at night when it's cooler. This will help to keep humidity down. This includes washing clothes or dishes, mopping floors, watering indoor plants, etc.

10. Turn off computers, printers, copiers, and home electronics when they are not in use. Surge protectors that allow you to plug several items into one strip with an on/off switch make this even easier.