Energy Saving Tips to help you Save!

1. "Repair any holes in your roof, walls, doors, ceilings, windows and floors. This saves up to 10 percent of your heating/cooling costs!"

2. "Close the damper when the fire place is not being used. Try not to use the fireplace and central heating system at the same time."

3. "Use low-wattage light bulbs. You can lower your lighting bill even more by converting to energy-efficient fluorescent lighting."

4. "Install shades, awnings or sun screens on windows facing south and/or west to block summer light. In winter, open shades on sunny days to help warm rooms."

5. "A low-flow shower head can reduce water use by 50-70 percent. And it works just as well, despite its goofy name"

6. "Add extra blankets or insulated padding to waterbed mattresses to retain heat."

7. "Plan meals so you'll cook and bake several items at once. Preheat as little as possible."

8. "Wash only full loads in a dishwasher and use the shortest cycle that will get your dishes clean."

9. "Plug gaps around pipes, ducts, fans and vents that go through walls, ceilings and floors from heated to unheated spaces. Savings: 1-3 percent of space heating costs."

10. "Use insulating shutters or drapes and keep them closed during winter nights and summer days. Savings: 8-15 percent of space heating costs."

11. "If you have a microwave oven, use it for reheating and cooking small quantities of food." "Cook on range top burners when practical instead of in the oven."

12. "Make sure heat producing appliances like televisions and lamps are away from your thermostat. They will raise the temperature at the thermostat."

13. "Don't move your thermostat temperature up and down during the day; try to keep a consistent level of cooling. Changing the thermostat temperature back and forth to extremes causes your air conditioner to work harder costing you more money."

14. "Try to do dishwashing and laundry in the late evening well after the sun has gone down or in the early morning. The cost of generating electricity reduces after midnight through the early morning."

15. "Remember when you permanently leave rooms in your house, turn the lights out and appliances off, including the TV and radio."

16. "Turn off heat and close doors to unused rooms if you have individual room heat. Do not close doors and vents to unused rooms if you have a heat pump central air system."

17. "When cooking on a stove, use the smallest pan necessary to get the job done."

18. "When you're home during the winter, keep the thermostat at the lowest comfortable temperature."

19. "Wash full loads of clothes in the coolest water possible. Rinse clothes in cold water."

20. "Close the drapes on the sunny side of the house during the day. "

21 "Stop the dryer as soon as clothes are dry, or use the moisture sensor control to automatically shut off the dryer. Over drying wastes energy and sets in wrinkles."

22. "Keep air conditioner filters clean. Aluminum mesh filters may be washed. Fiberglass filters should be replaced."

23. "Besides cleaning your lint filter after every load, make sure you dry full loads of clothes without overloading."


You can find other energy tips at  www.energyright.com.