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1. Shut off lights in rooms you are not in and appliances you are not using. This can be the biggest way to conserve energy in your home. Use the right bulb. Save energy by choosing bulbs that give the most light (or lumens) for the electricity or watts they use. Compact fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy than typical incandescent bulbs. One bulb is better than two. Use one higher wattage bulb instead of several with lower wattage. One 100-watt bulb produces more light than two 60-watt bulbs and uses less power. |
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2. About 20% of the energy used by the average home is used
to heat water for showers, baths, washing machines, and dishwashers.
Take a shower instead of a bath. It uses a lot less water and the hot water heater doesn't have to be on as long to replace the hot water you used. Or if you are a bath person, don't fill the tub as full. Filling the bath only one-third to one-half full can save 20 or more gallons of water compared to a full bath. That's 20 gallons your water heater doesn't need to warm up. |
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3. When cooking remember that smaller is better. Smaller pans need less energy to heat up and microwaves use less energy than full-size ovens. You can also save energy by using the element on your stove that matches the size of the pot. When you use a burner that is larger than the pan, you are paying to heat not just the pan but the air over the uncovered part of the burner. |
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4. Make sure foods are covered and cool before you put them in the fridge. If foods aren't covered moisture will evaporate, which makes the refrigerator use more energy and putting hot food in makes the refrigerator work extra hard to cool it down. Also, freezers work better when they are full than when nearly empty, so put some plastic containers like old milk jugs with water in them in the freezer to take up empty space. |
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5. Turn the thermostat down. When you are not home or when you go to bed turn the thermostat down. This could save up to 5% of your heating costs. But if your house is cold, don't crank your thermostat to try to make the house heat up quicker. It won't and it just wastes energy. You should also check the air filters on furnaces and heat pumps monthly. Dust in them makes the blower work harder, which means more energy is wasted. You can clean or replace the filters if they are dirty. And do not block the vents with furniture or carpet. |
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6.When using the dishwasher choose the "light" wash setting when you can as it uses less water and runs for less time. Next best is the normal cycle. Only use the "heavy" or "pots/pans" cycle only when the load is quite dirty. Air dry the dishes instead of having the dishwasher pump hot air over them. |
| 7. Only do you laundry when you have a full load. If you only have a few things to do, it wastes water and electricity. |
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8. Hang clothes out on clothes line (when the weather is nice) or a wooden rack instead of drying them in the dryer and clean the dryer filter before each use. Dry full loads, but don't overfill. If you take out clothes while still slightly damp, you won't need to do as much ironing if you hang them up right away. | |
| 9.Make sure all of the windows and doors have a good seal. It keeps the heat in during the winter and the heat out in the summer. It is a good idea to make sure your attic has a lot of insulation too. This keeps the heat from leaving through the roof. |
| 10. Don't leave the hot water running while you're washing your hands, brushing your teeth, or shaving. Turn the water on only when you're actually using it. |