Tips
- Run a full load
- Only run a wash of laundry when your washing machine is full. You can save around 50 gallons a week and reduce your energy use.
- Don't add to the heat on a hot day
- Reduce the use of ovens, stoves, washers, dryers, and other heat generating appliances on hot days. Cook with a microwave oven or outdoor grill to save energy and eliminate additional indoor heat.
- Get rid of your spare refrigerator
- You'll save money and energy if you unplug or recycle an unneeded spare refrigerator sitting in your garage.
- Use timers when you're away from home
- Are you planning a vacation and want have your lights and appliances on for security purposes? Use timers to manage energy usage when you're not at home.
- Block incoming sunlight on hot days
- Heat from the sun can raise indoor temperatures and make your air conditioner work harder. Keep it cooler inside by drawing your shades or curtains closed during peak sunlight hours.
- Limit your hot water use
- Use low-flow shower heads, take short showers instead of baths, and don't run water when you shave or brush your teeth. You'll save water and energy.
- Don't waste electricity
- Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use; this saves energy that is usually wasted by running electronics in standby mode.
- Switch to CFLs
- Replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLS). CFLs have a longer life and use less electricity compared to incandescent lights. A CFL is also referred to as an energy saving light.
- Eliminate drafts
- Seal air leaks around drafty windows and doors by applying caulk or weather-stripping.
- Hang dry your clothes
- Run your dryer less and save energy by installing and using a clothes line for drying clothes.
- Wash clothes in cold water
- Use cold-water detergents and set your washing machine to the cold water temperature setting.
- Turn off unnecessary lights
- Remember to flip the switch and turn off unnecessary lights when you leave a room.
- Keep your dryer's lint trap clean
- To improve air circulation, clean out your dryer's lint trap before each use. Also clean the exhaust duct to the outside to improve performance and safety.
- Wash full loads
- Only run the washing machine or dishwasher when you have a full load.
- Air-dry your dishes
- Turn off the dry cycle on your dishwasher and choose to air-dry your dishes instead.
- Switch to low-wattage light bulbs
- Think of areas in your home where you don't need high intensity lighting. Considering switching to low-wattage bulbs in applicable areas, such as closets or hallways.
- Store your food at the proper temperature
- Recommended refrigerator temperatures are 37° to 40°F for the fresh food compartment and 5°F for the freezer section. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, set it to 0°F.
- Keep your light bulbs clean
- Instead of using a dirty, dusty high-wattage bulb to get the light you need, use a low-wattage bulb and keep it clean! You'll get the light you need by keeping your low-wattage bulbs clean.
- Turn down the setting on your water heater
- Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120°F or lower.
- Dress for the summer season
- Wearing the right type of clothing for the season can make a big difference in how you feel. Loose and lightweight clothing in hotter months will allow for air flow across your body.
- Bundle up in winter months
- Keep it cozy and bundle up in winter months with hats, sweaters, and blankets.
- Ensure your A/C unit is free of obstructions
- Keep the air flow in the front and back of your air conditioning unit free from obstructions. Remove any objects that might be blocking the incoming or exiting air flow.
- Keep it cool by keeping the doors closed
- When using your air conditioning system, limit opening and closing doors to the outside, and close inside doors to rooms that aren't in use.
- Keep your refrigerator full
- Believe it or not, a full refrigerator helps keep things cool and prevents the temperature from warming up to fast when the door is opened. This limits the amount of energy needed to cool down your refrigerator each time you open it.
- Cook with speed
- Use your microwave oven to cook your meals and you'll save energy. Microwave ovens use less energy when cooking compared to a stove-top or oven.
- Stop letting cold air escape
- Think ahead about what you need to prepare your meal and remove all of the items from your refrigerator at one time, which will help you reduce the number of times you open and close your refrigerator.
- Tune up your heating and cooling system
- Hire a qualified professional to inspect and maintain your heating and cooling system.
- Open and close your fireplace flue properly
- Be sure to open your fireplace flue when in use, but close your fireplace flue when it isn't in use. Warm or cool air circulating throughout your home can escape through the fireplace flue. It can also be a source of cold drafts during winter months.
- Warm up or cool down with the help of your ceiling fan
- Run your ceiling fan in a clockwise direction in winter months, which helps circulate warm air throughout a space. You'll enjoy a nice breeze during summer months by running your fan counter-clockwise.
- Manage your home's environment
- Cool your home in the summer months with the thermostat set to 78°F or warmer. Warm your home in the winter months with your thermostat set to 68°F or cooler. A programmable thermostat can help you manage temperature settings in your home.
- Weatherproof your windows
- Re-glaze leaky, broken window panes.
- Heat or cool only what you need
- Don't waste energy by heating/cooling a room that isn't in use. Close central heating and air vents inside of rooms that aren't being used. Close doors to these rooms to ensure unwanted air doesn't escape into your otherwise warm/cool house.
- Don't block vents with furniture
- Make sure that vents aren't blocked by furniture.
- Draw your shades and save energy
- Dual shades are great energy savers. These shades are white (reflect heat) on one side and black (absorb heat) on the other. Reverse these shades with the season by ensuring the white or reflective side always faces the warmest area: face the white side outward during the summer (cooling season) and inward during the winter (heating season).
- Replace heating and cooling filters
- Allow for better air flow by changing filters in your heating and cooling systems on a regular basis.
- Unplug battery chargers when not in use
- Many battery chargers draw power continuously regardless if a device is connected to the charger or not, so unplug battery chargers when batteries are fully charged or when a device isn't connected to the charger.
- Keep your heating system clear from obstructions
- Go outside and check the outdoor portions of your heating system; ensure the system isn't blocked by any objects, leaves, or shrubbery.
- Store your window air conditioning unit in the winter months
- To reduce drafts around your window air conditioning unit in the colder months, remove and store the unit. If you don't want to remove the unit, prevents drafts by purchasing a cover.
- Insulate older electric water heaters
- Wrap your water heater's storage tank in the appropriate insulation blanket.
- Don't leave the water running
- Turn off the tap while washing dishes. Fill the sink or a pail to wash and rinse dishes.
- Check faucets and pipes for leaks.
- Even a small leak from worn washers can waste more than 50 gallons of water per day. Larger leaks can waste hundreds of gallons. Turn off all water using devices and check your meter. If the meter is still moving, you have a leak.
- Install aerators on faucets.
- Installing aerators on kitchen and bathroom sinks can reduce indoor water use by about 4%. Inquire about FREE aerators.
- Are your toilets, faucets or showerheads leaking?
- Do you hear the toilet running or your faucet dripping? You could be wasting thousands of gallons per month. To check for leaks, turn off all water taps inside and outside your home. Locate your water meter. If the dial is moving you may have a plumbing leak.
- Check your toilet flapper.
- Over time the flapper in your toilet tank becomes worn and does not work effectively. Leaky flappers are the most common undetected leaks in the house. Flappers can be easily found at hardware stores and are simple to install.
- Install low-flow showerheads.
- Replace older showerheads with new efficient models that use 2.0 gallons per minute or less. Older models can flow up to 7 gallons per minute and can waste thousands of gallons per month. Today's efficient models still produce great water pressure and the we provide them for FREE.
- Plant climate appropriate species.
- Reduce outdoor watering needs by planting species appropriate for your local climate.
- Water your lawn only when it needs it.
- Over watering the lawn is a common wasteful practice. Step on your lawn. If the grass springs back up when you remove pressure, it doesn't need watering. Water your lawn once every three days. Check sprinkler timers to reduce water time if necessary.
- Water at night or early morning.
- To reduce evaporation and irrigation water lost due to wind, water lawns and plants between 8 p.m.and 10 a.m.
- Place mulch around trees and plants.
- A 2-3"layer of mulch retains soil moisture,suppresses weed growth and can add nutrients back into the soil as it decomposes.
Facts
- The average house is responsible for 22,000 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions per year, twice as much as the average car.†
- More than half of the energy used for heating in single-family homes (either attached or detached) is natural gas, about one-fourth is electricity, and one-tenth is fuel oil (heating oil).‡
- Changing just five conventional bulbs to energy-efficient bulbs can save an estimated $60 per year.†
- The greenhouse effect is a common term used to describe the heating effect of the Earth's atmosphere caused by the trapping of long wave (length) radiation by greenhouse gases.
- The burning of fossil fuels and deforestation has caused the concentrations of heat-trapping "greenhouse gases" to increase in our atmosphere.†
Facts sourced from [*] the U.S. Department of Energy (EERE); [<86>] the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including ENERGY STAR; and [<87>] the Environmental Information Administration (EIA).