Energy Saving Tips for Homeowners
- Lower�your water heater thermostat setting to 120 degrees. This�can help�save you money and energy, while�still keeping your water plenty warm.
- Set�your�thermostat to 65-68 degrees during the day and 58-60 degrees at night during cooler months. Buying a programmable thermostat can help you manage this easily.
- Recycle your old refrigerator or freezer rather than use it as a "back-up"
- Close fireplace damper when fireplace is not in use. If you have fireplace doors, keep them closed.
- Insulate hot water pipes and install heat trap fittings at flex connections. Insulate the first five feet of cold line.
- Install low flow efficient showerheads and faucet aerators.
- Install gaskets behind electric outlets and switch plates on exterior walls.
- Seal air leaks to attic and crawl space with spray foam.
- Caulk and weatherstrip windows, doors, cracks and holes.
- Put bathroom ventilation fans on a timer or on a humidity sensor which will automatically switch off the fan when the room is dry.
- Capture free solar heat. On cooler days, open curtains to catch the heat from the sun and warm your home.
- Block the sun in hot weather. To keep your home cool, adjust window coverings to block the sun's hot summer rays. In the evening, open windows to catch cool breezes.
- Plant trees, bushes, and trellises that block unwanted sun in the summer. Strategically located plants on the east, west, and south sides of a house can provide natural cooling through shade. Deciduous plants will shade in summer and allow more light in winter. Plants can also form windbreaks to protect your home from winter winds. Be sure to keep plants away from the house so you do not trap moisture against the building.
- Use air movement to cool people during hot days. When it's warm, use natural ventilation or window and ceiling fans to keep cool. Remember that fans cool people, not rooms. If these are insufficient, consider installing a whole house fan which will vent warm air from the home and pull in cooler outside air throughout the house
- Wash laundry in cold water whenever possible. Ninety percent of energy used for washing laundry goes toward heating water. Only run the washer when you have a full load.
- Use the dishwasher energy-saver mode and run the dishwasher only when it is full.
- Eliminate Phantom Loads. Many homes electronics such as computers, televisions, and battery chargers use energy when not in use or turned off. By unplugging these or plugging them into a power strip that can be turned off, you can ensure that no power is being used when these items are not in use.
- Hang your clothes outside to dry whenever possible to reduce the use of your energy-intensive electric or gas dryer.
- Eliminate unnecessary lights and replace incandescent bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescents (CFLs) or LED lights. You can save at least 75% of the energy used for lighting. CFLs that emit a warm color similar to incandescent bulbs (soft white color) and that turn on more quickly are now available. It is important to handle and recycle broken and burned out CFLs appropriately as they contain small amounts of mercury. Motion detectors and timers can eliminate unnecessary lighting outside and in infrequently used rooms.
Additional Energy Saving Tips
