Little-known changes to your TV settings can help you save on energy costs before winter – and it doesn’t cost anything

A SIMPLE change to TV settings can help households reduce their energy bills ahead of the winter season – completely free of charge.

Americans are unknowingly paying more money on their energy bills, but a few small actions could add up to significant energy savings over time.

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Although most modern televisions already use less energy than previous models, they can continue to use electricity even after they are switched off.

This is due to the new “Quick Boot” feature that allows them to boot up a few seconds faster.

Disabling the setting can save you a significant amount of money over time.

Another brilliant TV-related hack is to turn off the automatic brightness setting.

Since most people watch TV at night or in darker environments, high screen brightness is not essential.

When automatic brightness adjustment is enabled, energy consumption may fluctuate and bills may increase over time.

Use of internet-enabled TV products such as Apple TV, Google Chromecast or a Roku box can also significantly reduce your energy consumption.

In the meantime, there are a few oven tricks you can use to reduce your energy costs that you can easily incorporate into your lifestyle.

According to the Yale Environment Review, cooking accounts for 20% of consumer energy consumption.

Tests by the US Bureau of Standards found that some people use 50% more energy than others to prepare the same meal.

While preparing your own food may be the cheapest way to eat, there are five tips to keep in mind to maximize energy while fueling your body.

It is recommended not to burn the food too badly while cooking in the oven.

According to safelectricity.org, opening the oven door can reduce the internal temperature by up to 25%.

Many people think that lids are for soups or stews, but using a lid will retain heat for most foods.

According to Edison International, using a lid allows for a lower temperature on your stove and helps reduce energy consumption by 66%.

Having a cluttered oven when cooking is a rookie mistake.

According to Electrolux Group, removing unused accessories reduces energy consumption.

Even if the oven is tempting as storage space, it should not fulfill several functions at the same time.

Budget-conscious Americans would do well to put a pan on the stove that best suits their size.

If you see that the stove area is sticking out from under your pan, swap it for a smaller one.

According to Synergy Companies, a small pot on a large burner wastes energy.

There’s a water heater hack that can save Americans 16% on their energy bills.

And four tricks reduced one person’s energy bill by $100.