Fall 2001 Energy - How to Conserve

Fall 2001 - Energy

How to Conserve

Turn off lights and other electric devices when leaving a room.
Use lighting directed at a specific area instead of overhead or general lighting, which may light unused areas of the room.
Set thermostats to 68 F in winter when you’re home and to 55 F when you go to bed or when you’re away.
Dress appropriately for the season even when indoors.
Close heating vents in unused rooms and avoid placing furniture over or in-front of air returns.
Use energy-saving settings on washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators.
Run your washing machine or dishwasher only when you have a full load to save energy and water.
Drying heavy and light fabrics separately keeps drying time to a minimum. Mixing different weight fabrics causes the dryer to run longer than necessary.
Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional oven. It cooks food more quickly and it uses 70-80 percent less electricity.
Keep your freezer full to increase efficiency, but don’t block the fan that allows cold air to circulate.
Clean your refrigerator’s condenser coils once a year.
Close drapes and windows during sunny summer days and after sunset in the winter.
Make insulating shades for your windows or add insulating storm windows.
Leave your storm windows on all year long. They provide valuable year-round insulation and create substantial fuel savings.
Turn down your water heater thermostat to 120 F.
Wrap a fiberglass blanket around your water heater and secure it with duct tape. You can save up to 10 percent on water heating costs.
Insulate hot water pipes in unheated basements or crawlspaces.
Seal and insulate heating and cooling ducts.
Drive a car that gets more miles to the gallon or ride your bike.
Make sure the tires on your car are properly inflated to increase gas mileage.