Energy Saving Tips for Home

• Reduce house temperature when you are away from home and at night. Programmable thermostats are fairly inexpensive and cost effective.

• Wear slippers at home to avoid walking on cool flooring which will lower your body temperature and prompt you to raise the thermostat. Wear a sweater or sweatshirt in the house if you feel cool.

• Keep south facing windows unshaded in winter months. Plant deciduous trees along the south side of the house for summer coolness. In winter the branches will allow the sun to filter through and warm that side of the house.

• Repair leaks around windows and doors.

• Clean or replace the air filter on your furnace regularly during the winter.

• Turn off unnecessary lights.

• Fix leaky faucets and replace with low flow aerators on faucets - they save energy and water.

• Out of town for a few days? Turn your hot water heater down or turn off.

• Wrap your electric water heater in an insulated blanket designed for water heaters.

Refrigerator/Freezer
• Set the coldness on the refrigerator for only as cold as you need, check manufacturer's recommendations.

• Don't overfill the refrigerator - it needs circulation around items to keep them cool. On the other hand, a full freezer works best.

• Check seals on your refrigerator and your freezer. If a dollar bill is closed in the door and can fall out, you need to repair/replace your seal.

• Clean the refrigerator coils and intake grill every three months.

• Allow hot foods to cool before putting in the refrigerator.

• When replacing, look for energy-star qualified refrigerators or freezers.

Water
• Take shorter showers.

• Lessen your use of very hot water when it isn't necessary.

• Reuse water where you can, i.e. in plants, to soak dirty dishes or stained clothing.

Washer
• Run full loads only. Washing one large load will take less energy than washing two loads on a low or medium setting.

• Wash in cold or warm water. Hot water sets stains and fades clothing faster. 85-90% of energy useage for washing is from heating water. By presoaking heavily soiled clothes, a cooler wash temperature may be fine.

Dryer
• Make sure clothing is sufficiently "spun" before putting in the dryer.

• Separate drying loads by weight, i.e. heavy, medium and light loads.

• Dry consecutive loads to use heat from the previous load.

• Clean the lint filter after each load.

• Do not add wet clothes to a partially dried load.

• Use a clothesline whenever possible.

Stove
• When cooking with pots, put lids on pots - it warms contents faster and keeps the heat in. Choose the right size pot for the job and match it to the right size burner.

• Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator.

• For small cooking jobs, use smaller appliances. For example: a toaster oven or a microwave. The microwave uses 75% less energy than a conventional oven.

• If you use foil in the bottom of the oven, be sure not to cover circulation holes.

• Do not cover racks with foil.

• You can turn off the oven just before cooking is done, the remaining heat will finish the cooking process.

Dishwasher
• Do not pre-wash dishes - scrape and rinse.

• Check and clean dishwasher drains regularly to ensure efficient operation.

• Wash only full loads. A dishwasher used once (full) saves more water and energy than 3-4 hand washings.

• Air dry your dishes, do not use the hot dry option.

• Find out when your electric rates drop in the evening and do laundry and dishes then.

Computers/TV's
• Use energy efficient computer systems and monitors - enable the computer's energy savings systems.

• Use flat screen monitor vs. CRT monitors. This will cut energy usage by 50%.

• Turn off the computer screen when not in use - that's 60% of the computer's power used.

• Unplug infrequently used TVs as many continue to draw power even when "off."

• Use power strips to easily turn electronics on when in use and off when not in use.

Lighting
• Use bright light only exactly where you need it - this is called "task lighting."

• Open blinds or shades to brighten a room.

• For lights that remain "on" such as nightlights, use the lowest wattage bulbs.

• Decorate your home with lighter colors that reflect light.

• Dust and clean light fixtures regularly.

• Use dimmer switches to add interest and lower energy use.

• Turn off lights whenever you leave a room and don't need them - even for a few minutes.

• Halogen bulbs are expensive, hazardous (fire) and waste energy - avoid them. Compact fluorescents are big energy savers and fit most any light fixture.

The money we save on energy costs at home is money we can dedicate to other personal priorities.
Conserving energy protects the planet for future generations. Each of us can do our part and what we do matters.

This list was compiled from the following sources:
• Sustainable Cornell A Student guide to Energy Conservation on Campus
• The US Department of Energys website: http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/
• The Ontario Ministry of Energy
• http://www.energy.gov.on.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=conservation.tips_heating