Power Conservation Tips

The following are tips that can help you save energy, thereby reducing your power bill.

Home Insulation

  • Caulk, seal or weather-strip all seams, cracks and openings to the outside.
  • Insulate the ceiling of your home. Either a blown loose-fill or fiberglass batts will do the job. Insulate the walls of your home. After ceiling and floor insulation, wall insulation is an important conservation measure to include.
  • Insulate the floor of your home if it is above a cold crawl space or basement. Floor insulation helps control heating bills and increases your home's comfort.
  • If windows are single-paned, for a low-cost temporary fix, consider installing inexpensive tape-up interior storm windows. (This will seal air leaks and can reduce window heat loss by as much as 50 percent).

Hot Water Pipe Insulation

  • Install pipe insulation on all exposed hot water pipes.
  • Install insulation on the first three feet of exposed cold water pipe that is connected to the water heater.

Heating

  • Turn your thermostat to 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day.
  • Turn your heat to 55° degrees Fahrenheit at night when you go to bed or when you are not at home.
  • Clean or change your furnace filters every two months.
  • Close your drapes or blinds at night to keep heat inside and open them during the day to allow the sun in to help warm your home.
  • When your fireplace is not in use, keep the damper shut and the glass door closed to minimize the amount of heat that escapes up the chimney.
  • Keep exterior doors and windows closed when the heat is on.
  • Keep your warm air outlets and heaters clean. Arrange your furniture and draperies so they don't block the airflow from the registers or heaters.
  • Heat only the areas of your home you actually use.
  • If you have a waterbed, set the heater at the lowest comfortable temperature. Place an insulation board under the heated waterbed. Keep the waterbed covered with a comforter.

Lighting

  • Replace incandescent light bulbs with new energy efficient compact fluorescent lamps. Some of the new models are safe to use on dimmers and with electronic controls.
  • Reduce the wattage of incandescent light bulbs that are used most of the time.
  • Use timers or light sensors so security lights are on only when you want them lit.
  • Turn off the lights that are not needed and in unused rooms.
  • Dust your light bulbs and clean the fixture covers to get the most light out of your fixtures.

Hot Water Heating, Washing and Drying

  • Set your water heater thermostat at 120 degrees Fahrenheit or the low setting.
  • Take showers rather than baths to reduce hot water usage.
  • Inspect your pressure/ temperature relief valve and replace it if it is leaking.
  • Wash only full loads in your dishwasher.
  • Don't use Rinse-Hold setting on your dishwasher. It wastes 3- to 7-gallons of hot water. Do use Air Dry setting and other power-saving features on your dishwasher.
  • When purchasing a new clothes washer, consider models that save energy and water. They save 40 to 60 percent on energy and water consumption.
  • If your clothes washer has a water level selection, use the lowest practical level. Wash full loads when possible. Use cold-water rinse for all loads.
  • Try cold water washing using cold-water detergent.
  • Clean the lint screen on your dryer before every load.
  • Repair leaking or dripping faucets.
  • Install efficient showerheads that use 2.5 gallons per minute or less.
  • Turn off the breaker to the electric water tank at the main switch box if you are going to be gone a week or more (except in freezing weather).

Cooking

  • For warming foods, use your microwave in place of your range oven.
  • When you use your oven, cook more than one item at a time.
  • Never use an oven or range burner to heat a kitchen.
  • Use flat-bottom pans for best contact with the heat. Use tight fitting lids to keep the steam in the pan.
  • Preheat your oven only 5- to 8-minutes when baking. Use a timer to reduce the number of times you open the oven door during baking.

Refrigeration, Freezing

  • Keep your refrigerator at 38 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Your freezer will work more efficiently if you keep it full.
  • Defrost your freezer when ice or frost builds up to 1/2 inch or more.
  • If you have an older refrigerator or freezer, listen to see if the motor/compressor runs constantly. If so, you may need repair service to check for low refrigerant. Another cause may be a leaky door gasket.
  • Vacuum or brush your freezer or refrigerator coils at least every 6 months. Coils are on the back or underneath the appliance.
  • Check your refrigerator and freezer door gaskets periodically for signs of deterioration, and replace them when necessary.
  • Read the Energy Guide Label when purchasing new major appliances. Compare the energy savings of similar models. A wise investment now can mean many years of energy savings. 
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