You've probably noticed your electric bill looks a little different these days. That's because the high price of oil and natural gas is driving up the price you pay for electricity.

In fact, some communities in the Brazos Valley have seen electric costs almost double. But part of the reason bills are so high, is because households are using a lot more electricity than they did just a few years ago.

"Video games for your kids, computers, these are additional devices that weren't around 10 or 15 years ago," said Time Kiersz, Energy Management Specialist, BTU.

Kiersz says most just people don't realize how much electricity they are using.

"The energy settings you see on appliances, use those energy settings," said Kiersz.

It might sound all too simple but one of the easiest ways to save on your bill is to simply, turn off the lights when you are not in a room.

"Just turn off the lights when you’re not using them or the TV set for that matter," said Kiersz.

But, there are some other measures that can be taken to lower energy costs. Start by making sure your ceiling fan is operating in the proper mode so cool air is circulated in the summer and warm air is circulated in the winter.

"It's easy to stand under it and switch the switch and you can either feel the air which would be summer time and if you don't feel the air of course it's reversed," said Kiersz.

Also, remember to change the thermostat when you leave the house and when buying light bulbs stay away from incandescent bulbs.

"They have these compact fluorescent bulbs that give you the same amount of light for a lot less wattage," said Kiersz.

So while energy costs aren't going down, you can lower your bill just by flipping a few switches.