Few things wear down your finances like the endless grind of monthly utility bills. Those include energy bills, water bills, sewer bills, natural gas bills and heating oil bills. If it keeps your house warm or cool, provides water or eliminates waste, it likely costs you money each month.

Every little advantage you can get when it comes to reducing those monthly utility costs means more money at the end of the month in your checking account. The best part is that there are many effective ways to trim your utility bills by doing a one-time task that lowers those bills. Here are 12 things you can do to reduce your utility cost:

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These strategies will significantly reduce your energy bill and water bill, saving you money throughout the year and reducing your utility cost without additional effort.

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12 Ways to Save on Utilities originally appeared on usnews.com