Clark has a few suggestions for lowering your energy bill as we begin to ramp up for the summer. He's opted for a cycler at his home. On hot days, the power company will shut off his air conditioners when they sense they're approaching peak demand. They'll also pay him a bounty for the right to do this. So far, his family hasn't revolted against him!

There are varying degrees of sophistication to these kinds of setups. PG&E has a Smart AC option for customers in California. It allows them to decide if they want to participate or not on a daily basis. Customers can also decide if they want the temperature of their home raised 4 degrees or if they want the AC to run at half power for short periods of time.

Clark is also toying around with the idea of purchasing power only at non-peak times. So far his wife is not pleased. This could force them to re-arrange their routine. For example, they may have to do laundry at 8 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. because it may be cheaper later at night. Perhaps the easiest way to cut back on household energy costs is to install a setback programmable thermostat. And during the winter, try piling on another blanket and turning the thermostat down at night.

Finally, have you thought about a home windmill if you live in a windy area? Of course, there are always aesthetic concerns to be addressed with your neighbors before installation! The New York Times reports that there's a new generation of self-installed personal windmills. They've become so simple to set up and hook up to your electrical power. Some local governments even give big rebates to encourage installation.