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NO-COST WAYS TO SAVE
ENERGY & MONEY
- Turn off
everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers,
etc.
- Check the
furnace or air conditioner (AC) filter each
month, and clean or replace it as needed. Dirty
filters block air flow through your heating and
cooling systems, increasing your energy bill and
shortening the equipment’s life.
- During hot
months, keep window coverings closed on the
south, east, and west windows. In winter, let
the sun in.
- Glass fireplace
doors help stop heat from being lost up the
chimney. Also, close the fireplace damper when
not in use.
- Activate "sleep"
features on computers and office equipment that
power down when not in use for a while. Turn off
equipment during longer periods of non-use to
cut energy costs and improve longevity.
- When cooking,
keep the lids on pots. Better yet, use a
microwave oven instead.
- Dress
appropriately for the weather, and set your
thermostat to the lowest possible comfortable
setting. On winter nights, put an extra blanket
on the bed and turn down your thermostat more.
- In summer, use
fans whenever possible instead of AC, and
ventilate at night this way when practical.
Using fans to supplement AC allows you to raise
the thermostat temperature, using less energy.
Fans cost less to use than AC.
- About 15 percent
of an average home energy bill goes to heating
water. To save hot water, take five-minute
showers instead of baths. Do only full loads
when using the clothes washer or dishwasher. Use
cold water for laundry and save up to $63 a
year—detergents formulated for cold water get
clothes just as clean.
- Lower the
temperature on your water heater. It should be
set at “warm,” so that a thermometer held under
running water reads no more than 120 degrees.
- Only heat or
cool the rooms you need—close vents and doors of
unused rooms.
LOW-COST WAYS TO
SAVE ENERGY & MONEY
- Install low-flow
showerheads and sink aerators to reduce hot
water use.
- Seal and
weatherstrip your windows and doors to ensure
that you're not wasting energy on heat or air
conditioning that escapes through leaks to the
outdoors.
- A water tank
insulation wrap costs about $20 and helps hold
the heat inside. Add pre-cut pipe insulation to
exposed pipes going into your water heater—it is
cheap and easy to install. If you’re starting
with an uninsulated tank, the energy savings
should pay for the improvements in just a few
months.
- Duct tape works
well on lots of things, but it often fails when
used on ductwork! Use mastic (a gooey substance
applied with a paintbrush) to seal all exposed
ductwork joints in areas such as the attic,
crawlspace, or basement. Insulate ducts to
improve your heating system’s efficiency and
your own comfort.
- Storm windows
can reduce heat lost by single-paned windows by
25–50 percent during the winter. As an
alternative, you can improve your windows
temporarily with plastic sheeting installed on
the inside.
- When buying new
products, look for the ENERGY STAR® label, found
on more than 40 different products such as TVs,
furnaces, cell phones, refrigerators, air
conditioners and more.
- Incandescent
light bulbs are outdated; 95 percent of the
energy used goes to heating the bulb, adding
unwanted heat to your home in the summer.
Replace your five most used light bulbs with
ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent bulbs to save
$60 each year in energy costs. These light bulbs
use two-thirds less energy and last up to 10
times longer. Use dimmers, timers, and motion
detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.
- Consider safer,
more efficient ENERGY STAR torchiere lamps
rather than halogen torchieres, which can cause
fires. Halogen bulbs are expensive to use.
THE
ULTIMATE CHECKLIST: For Saving Money by Reducing Energy
Bills
WEATHERIZE &
INSULATE
Save up to 20 percent of your heating and
cooling costs.
• Warm air
leaking into your home during the summer and out
of your home during the winter wastes money. A
handy homeowner can seal up holes to the outside
by weatherstripping doors and sealing windows
and other gaps along the home’s foundation. A
combination of air sealing and adding insulation
to attics, basements, and crawlspaces provides
tremendous energy savings and increased comfort.
• The easiest and
most cost-effective way to insulate your home is
to add insulation in the attic. If you have less
than 6 or 7 inches, you can probably benefit by
adding more. Most U.S. homes should have between
R-38 and R-49 attic insulation. In order to
achieve this, many homeowners should add between
R-19 to R-30 insulation (about 6 to 10 inches).
• Other effective
places to add insulation include unfinished
basement walls and crawlspaces. Insulating walls
can be more complex, but it can be worthwhile to
do if you have little or no insulation now.
Check with a contractor for advice.
• Consider the
ENERGY STAR® Home Sealing Program—the
government’s information for sealing your home:
www.energystar.gov/homesealing
IMPROVE YOUR
APPLIANCES & ELECTRONICS
Appliances account for about 20 percent of
household energy use.
• Appliances and
electronics really add up on your energy bill.
When it is time to replace, remember these items
have two price tags: purchase price and lifetime
energy cost. When shopping for new appliances
(refrigerator, dishwasher, etc.) and electronics
(TV, computer, etc.), demand the ENERGY STAR
label. ENERGY STAR is the government’s rating
program that shows you which items are more
efficient than typical models. ENERGY STAR items
will save you money over the product’s useful
life.
IMPROVE YOUR
WINDOWS
Efficient windows can lower your heating and
cooling bills up to 30 percent.
• If your home
has only single pane windows, consider replacing
them with low-e coated or ENERGY STAR windows.
Alternatively, storm windows can reduce your
winter heat loss by 25–50 percent.
IMPROVE YOUR
MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
Up to half of your energy bill goes just for
heating and cooling.
• Turn your
heating or cooling down every night and whenever
you leave home. Better yet—install an ENERGY
STAR programmable thermostat and save about $100
each year; it adjusts the temperature
automatically for you.
• When it’s time
to replace your hot water tank, buy the most
efficient one possible. Consider a tankless,
on-demand system (these won’t work for everyone,
so talk to your installer).
• An ENERGY STAR
qualified furnace, when properly sized and
installed, along with sealed ducts and a
programmable thermostat, can save up to 20
percent on heating bills.
• When buying a
new AC unit, look for a SEER (Seasonal Energy
Efficiency Rating) of 13 or higher on central
systems and the ENERGY STAR label on room units.
In arid climates, evaporative coolers are much
more efficient (and less costly) than AC. They
also add needed moisture to the air, while AC
units further dry the air.
• Adding area
heaters to warm just the occupied rooms in your
home will enable you to keep the rest of your
home at cooler, more economical temperatures.
LANDSCAPE
Save $100-$250 each year.
• Trees that lose
their leaves in the fall give protection from
the summer sun and permit winter sunlight to
reach and warm your home. Plant trees on the
south, east, and/or west sides of your home. Be
sure to shade the AC unit. Create a windbreak
with evergreen trees and shrubs to stop chilling
winds.
FREE RESOURCES
Sources:
Dept. of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and
Alliance to Save Energy |
