When the average sales price on an NYC condo is almost $1.9 million, it’s safe to say saving money on household expenses after your purchase is a necessity. But even if you don’t own an NYC condo, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to save a little more money around the house. One of the best ways to do that is by conserving energy. Here are a few tips to help you do just that.

Take Shorter Showers

Whenever you can help it, take shorter showers. It might be tough to get the whole family on board with this one, but there are a few strategies you can employ to get the kids on track for shorter shower times. Of course, the obvious one is to turn it into a bit of a competition — whoever has the shortest total shower time at the end of a week gets a prize of their choosing. However you choose to incentivize your family to get in on taking shorter showers or using less water in general is fine. The key is that everyone is making their best effort! When you consider that something as small as a leaky faucet can waste almost 3,000 gallons of water in a single year, it’s much easier to see just how much every little bit of water counts!

Dress for the Weather

If you’re wearing a t-shirt and shorts inside on a chilly winter day or a sweater and pants on a hot summer day, there’s clearly something amiss. In all likelihood, your heating and cooling costs are probably astronomical if this is how you’re dressing for the weather! Heating and cooling make up a hefty amount of your monthly energy expenses. Fortunately, there’s a simple tip that can help you and your family conserve a little bit more energy there: dress for the weather. While this doesn’t mean you should be wearing a parka and winter boots inside, a heavy sweater, socks, and some slippers is completely appropriate. If you dress for the weather, you’re less likely to crank the heat or AC when the temperature shifts outside. It might seem simple, but that’s the point!

Turn Off the Lights

If you want to conserve energy around the house, turning off the lights is one of the easiest ways to get your family behind you. Flicking a switch before you leave a room can quickly become second nature if you make a practice of it. And for the most part, you shouldn’t need too much artificial light in your home. One of the best ways to conserve energy is to use natural light to keep your spaces bright and visible. If possible, try to avoid using any artificial light in your home until the sun is setting each day. Unless there’s a room in your home with no windows, keeping everything lit with a little help from the sun should be no problem at all. And if you’re struggling to get your younger kids behind this initiative, try electing one child as your light helper every time you leave the house. It’s their job to go through and make sure all of the lights are off before everyone leaves. Not only is this a great way to teach about conserving electricity, but it also helps kids feel like they’re responsible for using less energy in the house.

The average homeowner spends almost 4% of their home’s value on maintenance and repairs annually. If you can save a little money in other areas, you’ll have the budget necessary to make lasting energy-efficient improvements in your home in the future.