According to U.S. Department of Energy, the typical U.S. family spends about $1,900 a year on home utility bills. But Bill Cunningham, an energy efficiency expert with Lennox - a leading provider of customized home heating and cooling systems - says homeowners can significantly curb their energy usage and reduce their energy bills in the coming year by making the following quick and easy home-related New Year's resolutions:

1. Make a Light Switch. Replace your five most frequently used incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, and save $65 each year. These bulbs use less energy and can last up to 10 times longer.

2. Get With the Program. Install an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat, and take the time to program it (the majority of consumers don't). When used properly, these thermostats can save as much as $150 per year in energy costs.

3. Go with the (Low) Flow. Replace your existing shower head with a new 2.5-gallon-per-minute (low-flow) shower head. The new water efficient shower head coupled with a 10-minute shower will save five gallons of water over a typical bath and up to $145 each year on electricity used to heat the water.

4. Let the Laundry Chill. To save hot water - and the $24 to $40 in fuel that it takes to heat that water each year - wash your clothes in cold water. Be sure to choose a laundry detergent that is formulated for use in cold temperatures.

5. Make a Dent in the Lint. Clean the lint trap in your clothes dryer before every load of laundry, which will help increase the drying efficiency of the machine and save another $34 each year.

6. Dial it Back. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater from 145 degrees to 120 degrees - the only place you'll notice the difference is on your utility bill. In fact, this slight reduction in temperature can save the average homeowner between $36 and $61 each year.

7. To Repair or Replace: That is the Question. Consider replacing an older furnace that is 60 percent efficient with one that is 95 percent efficient, and save approximately 57 percent on energy bills and up to a whopping $5,513 over a five-year period.

8. Stop the Standby Energy Use. Unplug digital devices when not in use, as "standby" energy consumption can add up. In fact, you can save about $165 per year just by unplugging a plasma TV.