Things You Can Do
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Things You Can Do
Home
Free (While adding money to your pocket!)
General
- Set your hot water heater no higher than 120 degrees. You’ll save 15
percent of your water-heating energy.
- Turn off lights when you leave the room.
- Use the minimum amount of lighting that is necessary.
- Turn off the TV, VCR, stereo, fan, computer, printer, and other electronics
when not in use.
- Activate power management settings by placing your inactive monitors into a
low-power sleep mode, which can save up to $55 per monitor annually.
- Activate power management settings by placing inactive computers into a
low-power sleep mode, which can save up to an additional $45 per computer
annually.
- Reduce HVAC system operation hours when no one is home.
- Set thermostat to 68 degrees F in the winter and 78 degrees F in summer.
- Use curtains and shades over the windows during the winter to keep in the
heat.
- Avoid using portable or baseboard heaters, because not only are they power
hogs, they are also a fire hazard.
- Use only as much light as is necessary as depending on the task you are
working on.
- Do at least two electricity audits of your home, one for the coldest month
and one for the hottest to figure out how much electricity you are using
during the year.
Laundry
- Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible, and line dry afterwards.
- Clean the lint trap after each load.
- Don’t over-dry clothing. Not only does this save energy, but also your clothes.
- Dry full loads.
- Do a few loads in a row to take advantage of the dryer’s reserved heat.
Kitchen
- Move your fridge away from other major appliances, such as a dishwasher,
stove, or even a heat vent.
- Make sure your fridge is tightly sealed, so no air leaks out. A good trick
to figure this out is by closing the door on a dollar bill. If you can easily
pull the bill out, your fridge is not tightly sealed.If necessary, adjust or
replace the gasket.
- Use the energy saver setting on your dishwasher and clean the filter after
each washing.
- Just like your refrigerator door, your oven door should shut tightly. Check
with the dollar bill test (see #2).
- Run your dishwasher with a full load. Most of the energy used by a
dishwasher goes to heat water.
- Avoid using the heat-dry, rinse-hold and pre-rinse features on your
dishwasher. Instead use the air-dry option.
If your dishwasher does not have an air-dry option, prop the door open after
the final rinse to dry the dishes.
- Thaw, or partially thaw, frozen foods in the fridge before cooking.
Under $100 (Things that pay for themselves in less than 2 years)
- Install a water-saving showerhead.
- Use energy-efficient lighting and fixtures.
- Use a light dimmer when using regular bulbs. However, do NOT use dimmers
with fluorescent bulbs.
- Paint walls a light color to reflect light and make the room feel brighter
(dark colors absorb light and make you use more artificial lighting).
- Use a fan instead of an air condition when possible.
- Add window tint to minimize solar heat gain and reduce your air
conditioning needs.
- Plant deciduous trees outside your largest west-facing window for shade in
the summer to reduce your air conditioning needs.
Over $100 (Measures that pay for themselves in 3 to 15 years)
- Buy a self-cleaning oven. They have higher insulation levels and use less
energy than ordinary ovens.
- Buy appliances with the ENERGY STAR® label.
- Buy the smallest model of the appliance that meets your needs; smaller
models often use less energy.
- Add extra insulation to your attic.
- Block air gaps around plumbing pipes and electrical cables, windows and
doors with caulking and weather-stripping.
- Insulate hot water pipes and put a water-heater blanket on your hot water
heater.
- Insulate walls with cellulose or foam insulation when renovating.
- Use low-e double pane windows in new construction, additions or
renovations.
- Install awnings or shades over windows on the south or west side of the
building.
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