Purdue University Associate Professor Athula Kulatunga, a certified energy manager, said lowering electricity consumption can reduce electric bills and ease the strain on the nation's power grid.

"Our nation's power grid is relatively old and it is showing signs of weakness," Kulatunga said. "There is a limit to what our grid will tolerate so we have to find ways to minimize the consumption while the grid is being upgraded.

"We need to help consumers more than we do," he added. "Studies have shown that people want to be more conscientious of their energy usage but don't know how they can make a difference."

Kulatunga said simple actions such as installing a digital thermostat, insulating water heaters or adding insulation to a home's attic and walls can result in significant savings.

Kulatunga oversees Purdue's International Rectifier Power Electronics Development and Application Lab, which focuses on energy-efficiency-related applied research in three main areas: motion controls, power conversions and audio amplifiers.