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No Cost Tips:
- Consider washing clothes in cold water. It is the most energy efficient and economical choice!
- Set your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit in winter. For every one degree Fahrenheit you turn your thermostat down, you will use 1% less energy.
- Open or close your blinds depending on the season. Open curtains and blinds in cooler months to allow the sunlight to warm your home. Close them in warmer months to keep rooms cooler.
- Set water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. The default temperature setting on water heaters is around 140 degrees. Turning the temperature down to 120 degrees is safer and will save 4% to 22% energy annually.
- Close the fireplace damper when not in use: Keep the damper in your fireplace closed unless a fire is burning. Otherwise your heated or cooled air can escape through the chimney.
- Change direction with the seasons: In the winter, set ceiling fans to a clockwise rotation to circulate warm air. In summer, set fans to counter-clockwise to circulate cool air.
Low-Cost Tips
- Replace incandescent and CFL lighting with LEDs. ENERGY STAR® residential LEDs use less energy and last longer than incandescent and CFL lighting.
- Plug your TV, cable box and video games into a smart power strip. Idle electronics suck energy and can contribute to up to 10% of a household’s monthly electric usage. Plugging equipment into a smart power strip reduces energy waste and saves money on your electric bill.
- Check and change furnace filters regularly. Clogged or dirty air filters cause your furnace to work hard and waste energy. Clean filters increase efficiency, extend the life expectancy of your furnace and help cut energy costs.
- Install high-pressure/low-flow showerheads. Aerators and high-pressure/low-flow showerheads not only save water, they save on the cost of heating water. Less water used is less water to heat.
