Energy Saving Tips

Lighting

A quick and cost-effective way to start conserving electricity is to conduct a review of your lighting habits:

  • Replace frequently used incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, which use a third as much electricity as standard incandescent bulbs and last up to ten times longer than regular bulbs.
  • Use a timer to reduce the amount of energy used to light your home.  Replace outdoor lighting with a motion-detector equipped bulb or fixture.
  • Use task lighting (e.g. lamps) rather than lighting the whole room.

Hot Water/Water

  • Lower your hot water heater to 120 degrees and drain any sediment.  Heating cold water is very energy intensive. You need to keep your water heater above 120 degrees to prevent bacteria, but many hot water heaters are set much higher.
  • Insulate your hot-water heater.  Experts estimate that adding insulation to your water heater and any exposed pipes can reduce the cost of heating water up to 15%.
  • Conserve water by taking showers instead of baths. A five minute shower will use about half the amount of water a bath uses, even more if you install a low-flow shower head.  And fix leaky faucets quickly

Vacation

  • Turn off the hot-water heater and if you must leave lights on, use a timer.

Heating and Air Conditioning

Heating one's home is the single largest use of energy for the average customer:

  • Set your thermostat a few degrees higher for air conditioning and a few degrees lower for heating, and use curtains and shades to keep heat in during the winter and to keep it out in the summer.
  • Install a programmable thermostat to reduce heating and cooling when you are out.
  • Use a fan instead of air conditioning during the summer.
  • Clean or replace filters on equipment and check for cracks or gaps and seal them with caulking and weather stripping.

Appliances, Electronics and Entertainment

  • Set your computer to go into "sleep" mode when not in use.  Screen savers are not energy savers!
  • Replace old appliances with more efficient models.  Energy-efficient models with the Energy Star label can really save energy and money.
  • When TV’s, VCR’s, DVD players and Cable TV converters are not in use, they are usually in a standby mode consuming power. These appliances can be plugged into a power bar and turned off when not in use.

Laundry

  • Always do a full load of washing or drying.  You use the same amount of electricity whether your load is full or not.
  • When replacing washing machines consider front end loaders. They use half the water and are more effective at spinning the water out of clothes - which lowers the drying time.
  • Clean the filters of both water hose inlets on the back of the machine once a year.
  • Use sensor cycles instead of timed dry and save energy while extending the life of your clothes, and clean the filter every time between load of drying.

Kitchen

  • Always do full loads of dishes.  You use the same amount of electricity and water whether your load is full or not.   Use the short cycle or econo-wash mode as much as possible.
  • Check and clean drains and filters regularly to ensure efficient dishwasher operation.
  • Use smaller kitchen appliances for smaller cooking jobs i.e. microwave or toaster oven.
  • An un-crowded refrigerator works more efficiently than a crowded one. Freezers work best when they are two-thirds full.