Over 70 Helpful Energy Conservation Tips for the Home

Courtesy of Rod Ideker, Chevron Energy Solutions Energy Resource Manager

Heating Tips
Cooling Tips
Refridgerator & Freezer Tips
Laundry Tips
Hot Water Use
Dishwashers
Cooking Tips
Lighting Tips
New Appliances

Heating Tips

• Check the filters in your warm air heating system monthly and replace or clean them.
• Insulate. Especially the attic (12" minimum).
• Install any or all of the following: Storm windows, Storm doors, Double-glazed windows, Plastic on windows in the winter
• Caulk and weather strip cracks in walls and floors.
• Open curtains, blinds and shades over windows facing the sun during the day. At night or when the sky is overcast, CLOSE THEM.
• Maintain home humidity.
• Keep your heating thermostat at the lowest temperature comfortable.
• Insulate heating hot air ducts and hot water pipes that provide heat to the rooms in your home.
• Keep the fireplace damper closed tightly when not in use.
• Cover your whole-house fan damper (kits available at hardware stores or use foam board).
• Keep doors and windows closed.

Cooling Tips

• Make sure your air conditioner is the proper size for the area you are cooling. Too large and it will shut off quickly and won't reduce the room's humidity and you'll be uncomfortable. Too small, it will run constantly on hot days without ever achieving good results.
• If you have a choice, locate your AC units on the north, east or the best-shaded side of your home.
• Check the filters in your cool air system monthly and replace or clean them.
• Keep shrubbery away from your air conditioner since it blocks vents and reduces the unit's ability to exhaust air.
• Clean your outside unit. Keep the unit free of leaves and grass. You can use a fine spray from your hose. DO NOT USE A HARD, NARROW JET TO CLEAN THE UNIT - IT WILL BEND AND DISTORT THE FINS AND REDUCE THE EFFICIENCY OF THE UNIT.
• Close off registers or reduce their opening for rooms that are not occupied.
• Install and program a programmable thermostat to reduce the use of the air conditioner when you are asleep or away.
• Insure that the ventilation to your attic is free of obstructions (bird nests, insulation, etc.) to keep your attic (and consequently your house) cooler.
• If you have an attic fan (this is not the same as a whole-house fan), check it's operation every spring.
• Keep your heating thermostat at the highest temperature comfortable.
• Use ceiling fans to circulate cool air and to provide the "wind-chill" effect on skin.
• Do your cooking, laundry and bathing in the early morning or late evening to keep the humidity down in your home.
• Do your baking and ironing and use your blow dryer in the early morning or late afternoon/evening.
• Close curtains, blinds and shades over windows facing the sun during the day. At night, keep them closed.
• Install reflective films on windows.
• Intelligently open doors and windows (open when cool AND dry outside; close otherwise).

Refrigerator & Freezer Tips

• Check the seal on the refrigerator with a dollar bill.
• Cleaning the condenser coils in the black or bottom of the refrigerator with the brush attachment of a vacuum cleaner.
• Keep the refrigerator away from heating appliances (ovens and dishwashers), windows, and heating ducts.
• If you have a freezer or refrigerator in your garage, keep the overhead garage doors as much as possible.
• When purchasing a new refrigerator consider a high efficiency model. Compare yellow Energy Guide labels and choose the unity that uses the least amount of electricity.
• Keep the freezer's compartment full to increase its efficiency.
• Do not block your upright or refrigerator freezer's fan or vent that allows cold air to circulate.
• Set your refrigerator to 36-38 degrees and your freezer temperature to 0-5 degrees.

Laundry Tips

• Wash in warm and preferably cold water.
• ALWAYS rinse in cold water (water temperature in the rinse has nothing to do with how clean your clothes are - the washing is already done by that time).
• Run the washer only when you have a full load of laundry.
• If you have more than one load of clothes to dry, do each load immediately after the one before to use the heat left over from the previous cycle.
• When buying a new clothes dryer, purchase one with a "moisture sensing" device that shuts off automatically when your clothes are dry.
• Be conscientious about using the dryer timer setting carefully.
• Dry heavy and light fabrics separately.
• Check and clean the lint filter before each load to prevent restricting the air flow.

Hot Water Use

• If you have a dishwasher, set the water heater setting to 130-140 degrees maximum. If the automatic dishwasher has a water temperature booster, set the water heater temperature to 110-120 degrees.
• If your house will be vacant for two or more days, lower the temperature of your water heater until you return.
• If you have a new water heater, drain a few gallons from your tank every six months to remove sediment that accumulates and reduces the heater's efficiency.
• If you only use your hot water once or twice a day, consider installing a timer on your water heater and set it up to run two hours in the morning and the evening.
• If your water heater is more than five years old, wrap a fiberglass blanket around your water heater and secure it with duct tape or installing a ready-made insulation kit (available at hardware stores).
• Insulate hot water pipes.
• Repair leaky faucets as soon as possible. The constant drip wastes water, energy and money.
• Install an inexpensive "flow control" device in shower heads and faucets.

Dishwashers

• Rinse dishes with cold water before loading them into the dishwasher and run the dishwasher only when it's completely full.
• Since hand-washing usually requires more hot water using the dishwasher, resist the desire to wash dishes by hand and use the dishwasher, instead.
• When shopping for a new dishwasher, look for models that raise the temperature of the incoming water to 140 degrees.
• Take advantage of the energy saving control on many dishwashers. It turns off the heat during the drying cycle. Open the dishwasher after the rinse cycle and let the dishes air dry.

Cooking Tips

• A microwave oven uses 70-80% less electricity than a regular oven.
• When you're cooking on top of the range, use pots and pans that are properly sized to "fit" the burners.
• Use cookware with flat bottoms and tight cover. Always cook with lids on your pans, as this keeps the heat inside and speeds up cooking time.
• Always cook with lids on your pans.
• If you do use a conventional over, try to avoid "peeking" by opening the over door.
• Although often recommended, it's not really necessary to preheat the oven for foods with a cooking time of over one hour.
• Using glass pans allows you to set the oven 25 degrees lowers because glass retains heat. USE OVEN MITTS OR OTHERWISE PROTECT YOURSELF ESPECIALLY WHEN REMOVING GLASS PANS.
• When preparing a meal in your oven, use foods that are cooked at about the same temperature.

Lighting Tips

• Replace incandescent bulbs (the ones with the filaments) with screw-in fluorescent.
• If you prefer incandescent bulbs, try to use "energy saver" bulbs.
• Match as closely as possible light bulb wattage to lighting needs. For example, a high wattage reading light in a hallway or alcove is not energy efficient.
• Turn off incandescent lights when you leave the room.
• Use lighting controls or "timers" to turn lights on or off at predetermined times.
• Install photocell controls in outdoor, security or night lighting to turn lights on and off at sundown and sunrise.
• Install dimmers to vary the level of illumination (and the energy consumption).
• Use task lighting (lighting directed at a specific area) instead of overhead or general lighting.
• Keep lights and fixtures clean.
• Take advantage of reflected light by keeping portable fixtures as close as possible to light colored walls or other surfaces.

New Appliances

• When you are shopping for a new appliance, check for the yellow Energy Guide label that tells you the unit's energy efficiency. This is particularly important for appliances which use a lot of electricity, such as air conditioners and refrigerators. The higher the EER, the more efficient the appliance is going to be.
• The label provides the estimated yearly energy cost for operating the appliance based on an average national utility rate. With any appliance, it's helpful to compare units in the same size range when you are trying to determine which model has the lowest annual operating cost.
• Although very efficient appliances may cost more to but, they pay for themselves through lower energy bills. For example, by purchasing a very efficient refrigerator, you could save up to $1,000 over its life (enough to buy a replacement later).