ENERGY EFFICIENCY TIPS

• Have a professional check your heating and cooling system once a year. Just like cars, your unit needs a tune-up to run efficiently. You can also clean and replace your filters monthly to lengthen the life of your system.
• Insulate leaks or separations at the joint of your unit. You can use mastic, butyl tape, foil tape or other heat-approved tapes. Insulate duct-work as well.
• Keep furniture and drapes away from heating vents and radiator valves so air can flow freely. Close vents in rooms that are not in use and keep the door shut to prevent heating/cooling an extra room.
• Keep your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter. Use blankets and extra layers to keep warm. Every degree over 68 adds three percent more energy usage to your utility bill.
• Use the sunlight to heat your house. Keep blinds and curtains open in the day and closed at night.
• Purchase a programmable thermostat and program it to turn off when you leave and to come on right before you get home.
• Buy a humidifier. It takes a higher temperature to feel comfortable when the air is dry, which is normally in the winter months.

• As with your heating system, you should have regular maintenance performed by professionals. Also, it is advised to change your filters monthly.
• Insulate leaks or separations at the joint of your unit. You can use mastic, butyl tape, foil tape or other heat-approved tapes. Insulate duct-work as well.
• Keep furniture and drapes away from heating vents and radiator valves so air can flow freely. Close vents in rooms that are not in use and keep the door shut to prevent heating/cooling an extra room.
• Purchase a programmable thermostat and program it to turn off when you’re not home and to come on right before you get home.
• In mild temperatures, open your windows.
• Keep blinds and curtains closed when the sun is brightest.
• Use ceiling fans and stand alone fans to keep cool.

• Caulk and weather-strip leaks in your house. If properly sealed, you can save up to 20 percent on heating and cooling. Seal anywhere you feel a draft, including areas where plumbing, ductwork or electrical wiring go through exterior walls. Also check attics, basements and crawlspaces.
• Install storm doors and windows for an additional layer of insulation.
• Insulate attics, basements, living areas and crawlspaces. Your local home improvement store can help you decide which type – fiberglass, cellulose, rigid foam board, spray foam – is best for your home. If you can only do one place in your home, make it the attic!

• Install low-flow faucets and showerheads
• Take showers instead of baths
• Repair leaky faucets ASAP!
• Turn off the water while brushing your teeth.
• Let dishes soak in the sink.
• Don’t water the cement – aim only for your lawn.
• Use a hose with a shut-off nozzle.
• Only run full loads of laundry or dishes.
• Turn down the thermostat on your water heater. A setting of 120 degrees is suitable.
• Insulate your water heater to prevent heat from escaping around the tank. You can also insulate the first six feet of hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.
• When the time is right, purchase a more energy efficient water heater. Look for one with the Energy Star label.

• Use a microwave whenever possible. They only use a third to half of the energy that a conventional oven uses.
• Make sure the seal on the oven door is tight. Try not to open the oven too much when baking. You lose 20 percent of the heat inside each time it is opened.
• Use lids on pots and pans and cook at lower settings.
• Use the burner size that best fits the pot you use. Heat and energy are wasted if you use a burner that is larger than the pot.
• Keep the drip pans under coil burners clean. And don’t line them with aluminum foil, which reflects heat and can damage the elements.
• Turn the oven off right before the food is finished cooking. Let the remaining heat finish the cooking.
• If the flame for your pilot light and burner is yellow (it should be blue), the port needs to be unclogged or adjusted. You can use a pipe cleaner to clean it – just make sure it has cooled off!
• A gas burner only uses 55 percent of the energy it produces and traditional electric ranges only use 65 percent. Get an induction cooktop, which uses 90 percent of the energy it produces.

About 90 percent of the energy used to run a washing machine goes to heating the water. To reduce the amount of energy used to wash clothing, use less water and use cold water. Here are some simple tips to reduce your utility bill and energy consumption when washing and drying laundry.

• Wash clothes in cold water and use cold water detergents.
• Wash and dry full loads to maximize your time and efficiency.
• Next time you’re in the market for a washer, buy one that has the Energy Star label. They use 50 percent less energy than regular washers.
• Dry heavy items like towels in separate loads from light-weight items like clothes.
• Dry lighter items first.  They will give the dryer a chance to heat up, requiring less energy usage to heat up the dryer for the next load of heavier laundry.
• Finish drying clothes with the residual heat in the dryer by utilizing the cool down cycle.
• Don’t over dry laundry. Use a moisture setting if your dryer has one.
• Clean the lint trap to increase air circulation, and inspect it periodically to be sure nothing is blocking it. This also prevents fires.

• Run your dishwasher with a full load. Running small loads wastes energy because you do it more often.
• Let your dishes air dry.
• Don’t worry about rinsing dishes unless food is burned on or dried on. You can scrape off large pieces of food left on dishes.
• Next time you’re in the market for a dishwasher, buy one with the Energy Star label. They use 25 percent less energy than federal standards require.

• 40 watt incandescent = About 450 lumens
• 60 watt incandescent = About 800 lumens
• 75 watt incandescent = About 1100 lumens
• 100 watt incandescent = About 1600 lumens

• By 2027, widespread use of LEDs could save about 348 TWh (compared to no LED use) of electricity. This is the equivalent annual electrical output of 40 large electric power plants (1000 megawatts each), and a total savings of more than $30 billion at today’s electricity prices.
• LEDs are more expensive than regular incandescent bulbs; however, they use 75 percent less energy and last 25 times longer.
• LEDs emit very little heat. In comparison, incandescent bulbs release 90% of their energy as heat and CFL’s release about 80% of their energy as heat.