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As these cool hacks will show, spending less on electricity is a lot simpler than you think.

1. Cover your food before refrigerating it.

Some people like storing uncovered food and drinks in the fridge. If you’re one of them, try covering those items before putting them in the refrigerator.

What does this do? It cuts down condensation, which keeps the fridge from having to work hard to keep everything cool. Beyond that, it can make your food and drinks taste better and fresher.

2. Cook with lids.

Put a lid on your food, and it’ll cook faster. The faster it cooks, the less electricity you need to use.

While that little tip will use less energy, so will this: Turn off your stove a couple of minutes early. Doing so will conserve electricity, and the built-up heat will keep your food hot.

3. Don’t preheat your oven.

How long does it take your oven to preheat? Depending on the desired temperature, it could take a long time, which drives up your energy bill in the process.

Instead of preheating your oven, put the food in immediately. You can get the same desired effect, especially if the recipe calls for long cooking times.

4. Use the microwave more.

A microwave can save you in more ways than one. First, we all know it’s a time-saver, which many feel is more valuable than money. Second, a microwave is 50 percent cheaper to run than an oven. And third, a microwave won’t heat up your kitchen like an oven will. This will help keep your AC costs low.

5. Don’t set your refrigerator to the warmest setting.

You may think that the warmer your fridge, the better. That’s not necessarily the case, though, as the lowest setting can actually use more electricity.

What’s the ideal fridge setting? The one that keeps it between 37 and 40 degrees.

6. Install light motion sensors.

Think of how much electricity is needed to keep the lights on all night long. Now think about whether or not it’s necessary.

Instead of using typical lighting, why not install some motion sensors? It makes sense that you want the lights to be on when needed, but not when you’re absent. Light motion sensors can fill this need either inside or outside to help lower your bill.

Speaking of lighting, pair those motion sensors with LED lighting for maximum energy savings. Studies show that LED lighting uses 90 percent less electricity, making it a must if you’re looking to minimize costs.

7. Let food cool down before refrigerating it

After you cook a meal, do you immediately put the leftovers in the fridge? If so, the warmth from the food will increase the fridge’s temperature. This will cause it to work harder to cool down, which will increase your energy usage and result in a more expensive bill at the end of the month.

Instead of instantly putting warm food in your refrigerator, let it cool off. Once cool, store it without upsetting your fridge’s temperature too much.