Did You Know?

It is important to keep your refrigerator door seals airtight. To find out if your seals are working properly, you can close the door over a piece of paper, leaving it half in and half out. If the paper slides out easily, consider adjusting the latch, replacing the seal or it might be time for a new unit.

You should resist the urge to peak in the oven while cooking. Each time you open the door the oven temperature is lowered by 25 degrees F to 75 degrees F.

You can let residual heat finish a cooking job for you. Turn your oven off a few minutes before early and the leftover heat will do the trick.

Cooking on burners that match as closely as possible to the size of the pots and pans you are using saves energy, and reduces the amount of heat that is lost.

Dishwashing

If you scrape your dishes, and skip a rinse before loading the dishwasher, you save energy. Pre- rinsing can waste up to 20 gallons of water.

You should wait for a full load! Put off running your dishwasher until it is full of dishes.

You should check and clean out the drain on your dishwasher. Food waste tends to build up over the drain, causing the dishwasher to work harder than necessary.

If you have the option, air-dry over heat-drying your dishes.  You will cut the dishwasher’s energy by 15 to 50%. If there is no air-dry setting, simply open the door after its final rinse and let the air-drying begin.

You should make sure you run your dishwasher outside of peak hours, or after 7 p.m.

Clothes Washing

When lint collects over the dryer filter, the efficiency decreases and the dryer has to work much harder. Clean out the lint after every load to help save energy.

You save 5% of your entire energy costs by line-drying clothing. If you choose warm water over hot, and cold over warm, you will reduce the amount of hot water used for your laundry.

High efficiency washers can cut energy costs up to 50% and use about 30% less water. They also last  anywhere from 5 to 10 years longer than standard machines.

It is important to choose the right size clothes washer for your needs.

Driving

If you keep tires properly inflated and aligned, you should improve your gas mileage by 3.3%.

If you combine errands into fewer trips, you save fuel. Several short trips, each taken from a cold start, can end up using twice as much fuel as one long trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.

You can improve gas mileage by up to 10% by replacing your air filters regularly.

Gas mileage drops rapidly when you drive above 60mph. Consider taking it slower on the roads.

An idling car gets 0mpg. The most efficient way to warm up a vehicle is by driving it. Your car requires no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days… anything more than that is just wasting fuel.

If you clear out your car by removing excess weight, you improve gas mileage.

You should travel with items in your trunk versus your overhead roof rack. Roof racks create more drag and can decrease your fuel economy by 5%.

Insulation

Adequate insulation in your home can save you up to 30% on home energy bills. From your basement to attic, be sure you are well insulated.

You will save 10% or more on your energy bill by plugging your air leaks.

You should test your home for air leaks. On a windy day, take a lit candle around the doors, electrical outlets, windows and light fixtures. Clear plastic sheeting  should be taped to the inside of doorframes if drafts, frost, or water condensation are present.

Windows

To reflect heat, use white blinds, drapes, or shades.

If you apply reflective films on windows that face south it will keep the heat out.

If you want to stay cool, keep sunlight out during the day on both the south and west facing sides of your home.

Water Heating

By simply turning the hot-water faucet off while brushing your teeth and shaving you will significantly reduce the amount of hot water you use.

If you turn your hot water heater thermostat off, or down to its lowest setting, when you plan to be away for more than three days, you will save electricity.

The amount of energy you will save in a year by installing a timer to control the hot water heater, will in turn pay for said timer.

Appliances

If you choose an oven with a window, this will allow you to check on your food without losing the heat.

A stove range with a variety of burner sizes is key. Using a small pan on a big burner wastes energy.

You can save up to $115 a year by installing a programmable thermostat.

If your furnace is more than 15 years old… replace it with an Energy Star qualified furnace. This will be 15% more efficient than a conventional furnace.

One-way valves, otherwise known as heat traps, prevent unwanted hot-water flow out of the tank. Much more cost effective when installed at the same time as a new water heater, installing them later on will still save you energy.

You will save energy by unplugging battery chargers when they are not being used.

If you plug your home electronics into power strips, this will allow you to turn everything off with the flip of a switch, when not in use.

Knowledge is power. Being an informed consumer will help in your quest to save energy. Check out the U.S. Department of Energy Website and estimate an appliance’s annual energy cost.

If you install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators, this will reduce the amount of hot water being used.

Leaving your electronics in sleep mode draws wasted power. Turn them off at night!

You can save as much as $113 a year by installing an Energy Star clothes washer. As opposed to a conventional machine, an Energy Star clothes washer will use 40% less water and use 50% less energy.

If you leave the water on while washing dishes, consider buying an Energy Star dishwasher. You can use up to 24 gallons of water hand washing with the water running. An Energy Star dishwasher will use roughly 7 gallons of water doing the same job.

You can save up to 50% on your utility bill for cooling by purchasing a new energy efficient air conditioner.

If you place TV sets and lamps near your thermostat, it can offset its heat detection, causing your air conditioner to run longer.