Heating/Cooling
- Up to 45% of your home's energy costs are generated by heating and cooling.
- Programmable thermostats allow you to conveniently maintain the comfort of your home when you're there and reduce energy costs when you're not.
- Ceiling and room fans help circulate cool or warm air around the room and allow you to adjust your thermostat to conserve energy and costs.
- To balance comfort and efficiency, set your thermostat in the 68-70° F when heating your home.
- Insulation should be judged by R-value rather than just inches. The higher the R-value, the better the insulating properties of the material. Use higher density insulation, such as rigid foam boards, in cathedral ceilings and on exterior walls.
- Don't block vents or ducts inside the house to assure air flow in the home.
- Keep fallen leaves, grass clippings, foliage and other debris away from your outdoor air conditioning or heat pump unit. Keep the conditioner's coils clean following manufacturer's instructions.
- When leaving for a long weekend or vacation during the summer, raise the temperature on your thermostat. This will save you several dollars.
- Caulk and install weatherstripping around windows and doors to close air gaps.
- Installing storm windows can reduce your heat loss through the windows by 25% to 50%.
- During the winter close your curtains and shades at night. Open them during the day.
- Make sure attic and crawl spaces are adequately ventilated. Poor ventilation will add to your summer cooling costs. It also can trap moisture in your attic, making insulation less effective.
- Change filters in air conditioning units and heat pumps at least once a month.
- Use bath and kitchen fans sparingly when the air conditioner is operating to avoid pulling humid air into the house.
- For every degree you raise the thermostat setting in the summer, you can expect to cut your energy consumption by 3 to 5 percent.
- Deciduous trees planted on the south and west will help keep your house cool in the summer and allow sun to shine in the windows in the winter.
- Deflect winter winds by planting evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and west sides of your house.
Kitchen/Laundry/Bath
- Toaster ovens and microwaves use less energy than full-sized ovens. Use them when cooking or warming small portions of food.
- Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
- Run your dishwasher, oven, washer and dryer in the evening when electricity rates may be lower and heat from the appliances won't increase demands on your air conditioner.
- Use the “rinse hold” on your dishwasher only when necessary. It uses three to seven gallons of hot water each time you use it.
- Use glass cookware for baking and reduce the cooking temperature by 25° F.
- Leaving room in your refrigerator or freezer for cold air to circulate will help the appliance operate properly.
- Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
- Close your refrigerator door on a dollar bill. If you can pull it out easily, you may need to replace the door gasket. Tight sealing gaskets keep cold air in and lower energy costs.
- Use the lowest appropriate temperature setting when drying clothes and avoid partial loads and over drying clothes.
- Keep your water heater set at the lowest temperature that still provides the amount of hot water you need. In most cases 120° F is sufficient.
- Switch to low-flow shower heads to reduce the amount of water that is used, while increasing pressure, to get the most from your water heating system.
- Repair leaky hot water faucets promptly. They can waste gallons of water in a short period.
Lighting
- Compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs use 50% to 75% less electricity to produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs and last eight to 10 times longer.
- Using white lamp shades helps make a room appear brighter with lower energy bulbs.
- Consider skylights for lighting. New models prove to be energy efficient and provide enough sunlight to light a 30 x 30 foot room without increasing heat levels.
- Use solar powered outdoor lights. During the day the sun charges the panel attached to the fixtures, and sensors turn the lights on at dusk. Your electric bill is not affected.
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