Energy Saving Tips at Home

 

ENERGY PLANNING 9

Have an occasional family meeting to discuss ways you can save energy at home.

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Use this list as a guide to energy saving tips and assign someone to monitor energy use between meetings.

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Keep track of your utility bills to see how much you can save.

Make a game out of saving energy by paying small rewards for coming up with new energy saving tips in the home.

FIREPLACE 9

Using a fireplace sends valuable heat up the chimney. Reduce the loss by installing glass doors.

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Have the chimney cleaned and inspected regularly and burn only fully dried hardwoods to produce the most heat output.

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Provide an outside air source to fuel the fire in your fireplace to prevent sucking out conditioned room air.

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Use grates made of C-shaped metal tubes to draw cool room air into the fireplace and circulate warm air back into the room.

Keep your fireplace damper closed in the winter when not in use. In the summer, open the damper to create a natural cooling draught. If you don't use your fireplace, plug the chimney with fiberglass insulation and seal the doors with silicone caulk.

GENERAL HOUSEHOLD 9 9 9 9

 

Turn off the TV, VCR, stereo or radio when not in use. Turn off the dehumidifier on dry days when it's not needed. Turn off the humidifier on humid days when it's not needed. Install low-flush toilets to save water. Many communities have water conservation programs that may pay for the new toilets.

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Turning off the water when brushing teeth or shaving.

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Do your consumer research on the Internet and buy as many things as you can on-line. You'll save time and the small shipping fees are much less than what you'd spend driving around in a vehicle.

Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket or ashtray - it wastes water every time you flush it. It takes a lot of energy to make new containers, paper products and packaging. Be diligent in recycling all your newspapers, cans, bottles, plastics, cardboard and other materials.

 

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Cancel your prin nted newspape ers and magazines and subsccribe to the on-lline versions. Itt takes a lot of nergy to make the paper, prin nt and deliver th hese publicatio ons to your doo or. en

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Activate the "sle eep" feature of your y home officce equipment (PC, ( fax, printe er, scanner, mo onitor) so they au utomatically po ower down whe en not in use.

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Tu urn off your home office equip pment when no ot in use.

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It is estimated th hat it takes up to t 1,000 years for a plastic ba ag to decomposse.

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Recycling plastic R c bags is a joke e! Just throw it away because e it takes more energy and co osts more to reccycle it than to make a new one.

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W When shopping,, refuse a bag ifi you don't nee ed it. Cashiers are often on au utopilot, baggin ng even single items.

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Bring your own cup c to your favvorite coffee shop. You'll save e energy, most coffee shops give g a discountt, plus co offee always ta astes better in real r cup.

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Properly dispose e of your batterries at the retaiil centers wherre you buy them m.

When buying a home, W h look at neighborhoods n s close to work or public transsportation to red duce private ve ehicle usse.

R Reuse your groc cery bags. Do you really ne eed to use indivvidual plastic bags for produce at the grocerry store? Here's a couple of small energy saving tips - avoid double-ccupping when getting g your favvorite coffee drrink. c without a lid unless you u really need one. o Also, take your coffee

Better yet, purch hase a good se election of high-quality recharrgeable batterie es and a charging unit. You'll save m money in the lon ng run and keep hazardous materials m out of our environme ent.

HEATIN NG AND CO OOLING

 

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Space heating and a cooling acccounts for abou ut 45 percent of your utility bill and offers the e greatest pportunity to sa ave on energy costs. op

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Adjust the therm mostat in small degree change es - your home e won't heat or cool c faster by cranking c it up.

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Cranking up the thermostat on a heat pump system s may turrn on the back--up resistance heating strips dding greatly to o your electric bill. b ad

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In nstalling a programmable therrmostat that willl automaticallyy adjust the tem mperature acco ording to your scchedule will pay for itself in less than a year.

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Changing the furnace filter eve ery other month h is a good ene ergy saving tip.

If your home is heated h electrica ally and you livve in a moderatte climate, consider installing a heat pump to sa ave 30 to 40 pe ercent on your heating costs.

 

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Keep furniture and a drapes awa ay from the HV VAC air supply and a return air ducts d to increasse the energy ur system. effficiency of you

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Be sure the air conditioner c is fu ully charged wiith Freon so it operates o efficie ently.

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When buying an W n air conditioner, don't over-size it. Select the e proper size and a choose an energy-efficien nt m model.

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If you install you ur air conditioning compressorr in a shady sp pot, it will work more m efficientlyy.

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During the winte er, remove wind dow air conditio oners and seal the windows with w caulk and weather stripping.

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Closing the doorrs and shutting g the vents in th he rooms you don't d use is a smart energy sa aving idea.

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A small UAL app proved electric space heater is an efficient way w to supplem ment room heatting.

When installing a new furnace, check the ene W ergy rating and d choose a high h-efficiency unit for maximum en nergy savings. It will pay for ittself in about 7 years.

Allow plenty of room r for air flow w around the air conditioning compressor fo or most efficientt operation. Bleed air from hot water radiators a couple off times each se eason to make them work mo ore efficiently. Place heat resis stant radiator re eflectors between the exteriorr walls and the radiators. Major appliances add extra heat to your home and make yo M our air condition ner work harde er. Operate them in th he morning or evening e when it's cooler outside. Yo ou might also want w to cover the central air conditioner c with h a tarp to keep p it clean. Ceiling fans are more energy efficient e at circu ulating the air than turning on the main furna ace fan. In nstall a whole-h house fan in the e attic to draw hot air out of th he house. Rem member to cove er and insulate it du uring the winter to prevent he eat loss. Add an extra bla anket for warmtth and turn dow wn the furnace while sleeping g. Use ventilating fans f in your kitcchen, bath and d utility area pru udently. In just one hour of usse, they can pu ull out arm air. a houseful of wa

INSULA ATION & CAULKIN NG

 

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M More than half of the energy used u for heatin ng is lost throug gh uninsulated walls, floors, ceilings c and attiics.

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Inspect your ho ome's HVAC du uct system to be b sure they're properly conne ected, sealed tightly t and well insulated.

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C Caulking and weather w strippin ng your doors and a windows iss an efficient en nergy saving tip p.

Adding addition A nal insulation to o the ceilings, walls w and floorss of your home e traps heat insside during the winter a keeps heat outside during and g the summer.

Caulk and seal air leaks wherre plumbing, du C ucts or electrica al wires penetrrate the exterior walls, floors and a c ceilings.

 

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Install the ready-made foam insulating padss inside your receptacle and switch s plate covvers to keep ou ut the w winter cold and d summer heat.

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S Seal cracks in your y basementt walls and floo or to keep heat in and cold airr out.

KITCHEN

 

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Lo ook for the Ene ergy Star label for when buyin ng home applia ances.

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Save considerab ble energy by using u your micrrowave oven and pressure co ooker wheneve er possible. The ey ook quickly using less energyy. co

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Fo oods and vege etables will take e less time to cook c if they are cut into small pieces.

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Preheat the oven only when th he recipe calls for f it. There's no n need to preh heat the broiler.

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If you have a self-cleaning ove en, clean it imm mediately after use. u Because it's already hot,, it will take lesss en nergy to get to the heat clean ning stage.

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Le et hot foods co ool on the countter before puttiing them in you ur refrigerator or o freezer. Hot foods cause th he unit to o work longer and a harder.

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Do you really ne eed that extra refrigerator or frreezer in the ga arage or basem ment? If not, se ell it or just unp plug it fo or big energy sa avings of up ab bout $8 per mo onth.

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If cold air is esca aping around th he refrigerator door seal, adju ust or replace the seal. To che eck, close the door d n a dollar bill. Iff it's easy to pu ull out, cold air is escaping. on

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Remove old item R ms from the reffrigerator regula arly, so you don't waste electricity keeping them cold all th he tim me.

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Set the tempera ature in your reffrigerator betwe een 35 and 38 degrees F.

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R the dishwas Run sher only with a full load.

Use energy saviing products su uch as small electric pans or toaster t ovens to t cook small meals m instead of o he eating your larg ge stove or ove en.

Fo oods will cook faster and use less energy if you put lids on n the pots and pans p and make e sure they're the t rig ght size for the e burner. Save energy by baking an extrra dish or cooking entire meals in the oven at a the same tim me. When you open the oven door to peek at food inside you lose 25-75 degre W ees of heat. Lo ook through the e oven w window or wait until u the food iss almost done before b opening g the door.

Keep the temperature on the frreezer between n 0 and 5 degre ees F. Tu urn off the "hea at dry" feature of o your dishwa asher. Then, wh hen the load is finished open the door and le et the diishes air-dry on n their own. A dishwasher will operate more e efficiently if you y unclog the drain of food particles p and cle ean it weekly. Using the garbage disposal lesss and the garb bage can more e is a good energy saving tip.

 

LAUNDRY ROOM 9

Over drying wears out your clothes and wastes energy. Stop your dryer when the laundry is dry by setting the timer or using the auto dry cycle.

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Buy a dryer with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off when the clothes are dry.

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Empty your clothes dryer lint screen between every load to improve energy efficiency.

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Wash your clothes in cold or warm water and rinse them in cold water. Use a cold water detergent.

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Set the water level on your washer to match the size of the load to save energy and water.

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One way to save energy is to wash and dry clothes only when you have a full load.

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Fill your clothes dryer, but don't overload it. Your clothes will dry faster when they have room to tumble.

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Dry clothes in consecutive loads to take advantage of the warm dryer.

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Gas clothes dryers usually cost about one-third as much to operate as electric dryers.

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Run your major appliances such as washer, dryer, dishwasher and pool/spa motors during nonpeak electrical hours, generally after 8 p.m.

LIGHTING

 

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Lighting accounts for about 15 percent of a typical residential utility bill. So, turn off the lights when not in use.

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Electric lighting also adds extra heat to a space that must be cooled by air conditioning in the summer.

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To improve energy efficiency even more, replace the incandescent light bulbs in your home with energy saving compact fluorescent lamps.

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Under-the-counter fluorescent lights in the kitchen give great energy savings. Most of the time, you can get by using them alone.

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Install dimmer switches to save energy and extend the life of light bulbs

Recessed can lights typically use 75- or 100-watt incandescent floodlight bulbs. Replace them with 50-watt halogen floodlight bulbs to enjoy a 30 to 50 percent energy savings - and improve the quality of the light.

Removing one light bulb from your garage door opener is a creative energy saving tip. For more energy efficiency, remove both light bulbs from your garage door opener and replace the garage wall light switch with a motion sensor control. The light will come on when someone enters the garage and go off more quickly, automatically.

 

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Install low-voltage lighting for outside illumination.

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For outdoor security lights, install lights with motion detectors so they only come on when needed.

WATER HEATING 9

Water heating accounts for as much as 20 percent of your utility bill. Insulate the hot water tank to reduce heat loss and save energy.

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Install the pre-formed foam pipe insulation on your hot water pipes.

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More than 1.5 million homes and businesses in the United States have invested in solar water heating systems. Most consider the systems to be a great energy saving idea and a good investment.

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Fix leaky faucets. One drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month - that's more than one person uses in two weeks.

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Take a shower instead of a bath and you'll use less hot water.

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If you live in a cold climate, install a second water holding tank for water to reach room temperature before entering the hot water heater.

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An old hot water heater builds up deposits inside and becomes less efficient. Install a new energy efficient, well-insulated hot water heater.

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An effective energy saving tip is to compare the Energy Guide labels before buying a new hot water heater.

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When your old hot water heater breaks, replace it with a tankless model

Set your water heater to the "vacation" mode when you're away from home for more than two days. Gradually turn down the temperature on the hot water heater until you just barely run out of hot water. Then, turn it back up just a notch for comfort.

Take shorter showers. For those who just have to take a long shower to get going in the morning, install a low-flow shower head to save valuable hot water.

Don't replace the hot water heater with a bigger one than you really need. Select the proper size to save energy. One of the little-known ways to save energy is to drain a quart of water from your hot water tank every few months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers its efficiency.

WINDOWS

 

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10 to 25 percent of your central heat is lost through the windows.

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In colder climates, select windows that are gas filled and have low-emissivity (low-e) coatings on the glass to reduce heat loss.

Replace single-pane windows with double-pane windows with low-emissivity (low-e) glass and vinyl frames to reduce heat transfer and filter out ultraviolet light.

 

 

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In warmer climates, select windows with spectrally selective coatings to reduce heat gain and save energy.

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Passive solar design can be very effective for reducing heating and cooling costs.

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When designing a new home or remodeling an existing one, place large insulated windows on the south walls with a heat-absorbing slab, to keep your home warm in the winter.

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Keep plants and trees trimmed away from south-facing windows to get the maximum solar heating effect.

Installing storm windows can reduce heat loss through windows by 25 to 50 percent. Reflective window film can help reduce heat gain during the summer and it will protect your furniture and carpet. When buying a home, select one with the main living area facing south to make the most of passive solar heating in the winter.

Design protective overhangs on the west walls to reduce cooling costs in the summer. During daylight hours in the winter, open all the drapes and blinds on south-facing windows to gain maximum heat through the windows.