Energy Saving Tips
Use these tips to save money on your utility bills and help the environment.
General Tips
1. Even when an appliance is off it continues to draw an idle electrical current. Some devices even draw the same amount of power although they are turned off. Therefore it is advisable to user power strips. Simply plug televisions, stereos, DVD players, computers, printers, modems, scanners, etc. into power strips which allow you to turn off the current to multiple appliances at the touch of a button.
2. Use ENERGY STAR certified appliances. ENERGY STAR studies show that if every home office replaced all of their computer equipment with ENERGY STAR labeled computer equipment, it would save 219 billion pounds of greenhouse gases. And that's just computer equipment. If every household replaced just one light with an ENERGY STAR certified light, we would save more than $600 million in annual energy costs while preventing 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.
Air Conditioning
Depending on how you use your unit, keeping cool in the summer
can cost a lot more than keeping warm in the winter. Consider
these ideas to keep down costs.
1. If you keep your air conditioning vents aimed upward you will
improve the amount of cold air circulating in the room.
2. Keep your curtains or window shades closed to block direct
sunlight. Switching off lights when you are not in the room not
only saves on electricity it also keeps the room cooler.
3. Consider installing awnings outside sliding doors and large windows to keep direct sunlight out. Deciduous trees which bloom in the spring will keep a window shaded during the summer but let the sun through in the winter.
4. Make sure doors and windows are closed to keep in the cold air.
5. Furniture should be moved away from vents and window units.
6. Check the air conditioner's filters once a month during hot weather.
7. When buying an air conditioner compare the brands to find the one which uses the least amount of electricity. There is a large discrepancy between different types.
Refrigerator
The refrigerator is another large energy user. However, with proper care you can keep the cost down.
1. Keep it clean. The condenser coils at the back of your refrigerator should be wiped clean of all dust and dirt at least three times a year. (Unplug it first.) Your refrigerator will run more efficiently and use less electricity if the coils are kept clean.
2. Defrost freezer when it collects more than a quarter of an inch of frost. If you don't you are causing your freezer to work harder thereby using more electricity.
3. Position your refrigerator away from stove or heating vent.
4. If water is standing in the bottom of your refrigerator you may have an air leak around the door. Test the gasket with a dollar bill by placing it between the door and body of the refrigerator. If the bill pulls out easily the gasket needs replacing.
5. For the most energy-efficient use of your freezer, keep it full. If you don't have enough food then put in extra containers of ice.
6. Open the door as infrequently as possible. Decide what you want to take out before you open the door. Then take out all of the items you need, instead of opening and closing it four times. Return the items together too.
7. Leave hot food to cool before you place it in the refrigerator.
8. Defrost food from the freezer in the refrigerator overnight. This will keep the refrigerator cool and cut down on the refrigerator's energy use.
9. Cover liquids before placing them in the refrigerator. Uncovered liquids will only add to the humidity and make the compressor work harder.
10. Before you buy a new refrigerator evaluate your family's needs. A too-empty or too-full unit will waste energy.
Stovetop/Oven
Bad habits around the stove and oven can run up your bill. Try the following ideas:
1. Match the size of the burner with the size of the pot. A small pot placed on a larger burner wastes the heat which emerges around the sides. A pot that is too big or has a warped bottom will prevent foods from cooking evenly.
2. Use the lid. Water will boil quicker with a lid on the pot. Food will cook faster from the trapped steam under the lid.
3. Don't turn on the burner until the pot is on the stove.
4. Plan all-oven meals. For example, meat loaf, baked potatoes and baked apples can cook at the same time and temperature.
5. Resist the temptation to peek inside the oven every five minutes. Each time you open the door your oven loses approximately 25 degrees of heat. Use a timer instead.
6. Keep your stove top clean; it will work more efficiently.
7. Keep in mind that a gas oven retains heat up to 15 minutes from the time it is turned off and an electric oven retains heat up to half an hour. Either shut off earlier or let another food warm up in the oven after taking something else out.
8. Use an electric skillet, toaster oven or smaller oven for cooking or baking in small quantities. They use less energy and won't heat up the kitchen.
Washer/Dryer
Proper use of your washer and dryer can also lead to big savings, here's how:
1. Although it's obvious that the shortest wash cycle and the lowest temperature will use the least amount of electricity, you may not know that 95 percent of the energy used by your washing machine goes into heating the water. Therefore, only use hot water for whites, hard-to-clean items, and diaper sterilization. Use lukewarm or cool for the rest; they will be just as clean, have fewer wrinkles and be less faded.
2. Don't overdo it with the detergent. Too much will put a strain on your machine.
3. Check faucet and hose connections. It would be a shame to lose hot water through a cracked hose or faulty faucet connection.
4. Keep the filter in your dryer free from lint.
5. No need to overdry your clothes it will only cause them to come out stiffer and age faster.
6. Load dryer according to fabric type, lighter materials will require less drying time, heavier materials will need more drying time.
7. Drying clothes in consecutive loads will save energy because the dryer retains heat from one load to the next.
8. Using your clothesline on a regular basis can save at least $100 dollars a year on your electric bill.
Efficient Water Use
Did you know that hot water is the third largest energy consumer in the average household? It can be cut down, though, if attention is given to the following points.
1. Check to see if your water heater is noticeably warm, if so it is not well insulated and wasting energy. A water-heater insulation blanket can save up to nine percent of water heater costs.
2. Fix leaky faucets. One drip a second can waste up to 58 gallons of hot water a month.
3. Inquire about flow restrictor devices for all faucets and showers. They can cut water consumption in half.
4. A five-minute shower consumes from four to eight gallons of hot water, a bath uses 20 gallons or more.
5. For safety's sake and for increased efficiency keep your water heater on a moderate temperature setting.
6. Because a dishwasher uses approximately 13 gallons of water it makes sense to only run full loads.
Lighting
Individual lights don't use much energy but when you consider the number of lights used every day they add up.
1. Did you know that fluorescent lights provide three times the light as incandescent for the same amount of electricity? Consider installing them in your kitchen and bathrooms because they last ten times as long and produce less heat. Until recently they weren't very attractive but now they are available in a variety of different eye-catching fixtures.
2. Reduce electricity use with dimmer switches which can multiply bulb life up to twelve times the usual amount.
3. An obvious but sometimes forgotten tip is to make sure everyone in your family turns off the light when they leave the room. Leave the lights on an automatic timer when you and your family will be away for a few days.
4. When buying light bulbs consider the amount of light each room needs. Halls, bathrooms and small rooms can use bulbs with lower wattage while larger rooms require higher wattage.
5. Because it requires six 25-watt bulbs to create the light of a single 100-watt bulb you will save electricity by using one large bulb rather than many smaller ones.
6. Dirty light fixtures decrease the amount of light reaching all areas of the room. Keep them clean to prevent turning on more lights than necessary.
7. When shopping for new lamps consider white or light-colored shades which let more light through. A 16-inch lamp shade is the smallest diameter which allows for proper diffusion of light.
8. Substitute 25-watt reflector bulbs for the average 40-watt bulbs used in high-intensity portable lamps, you will still get enough light and you will save energy.
