7/30/2019 101 Ways to Save

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101+

WAYSTO SAVEENERGY.

1-877-WISE USE

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Weve done ourhomework to help you

save energy and money.

Through the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund,

weve come up with 101+ ways to help youlower your energy bills and save money.

Many are no-cost or low-cost tips.

Take a look at which ones you can take

advantage of to start saving now.

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LIGHTING

1. Turn off lights when you leave a room or

when they're not needed.

2. Use a timer to turn house lights off and on

automatically.

3. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with

ENERGY STAR qualified

compact fluorescent light

bulbs (CFLs). CFLs last

longer and use as little as

one-quarter the energyof regular light bulbs.

4. Put lamps in corners of

rooms so light reflects off

two walls. Use lightcolors on walls, ceilings and

floors to reflect more light.

5. Use task lighting over desks, tables

and workbenches rather than

lighting the whole area.

6. Take advantage of natural light

whenever possible. Keep windows clean

and unobstructed.

7. Select low wattage, ENERGY STAR qualified

CFLs for general lighting. If you do use

incandescent lighting, avoid long life bulbs,

which are the least efficient of all incandescent

bulbs. Use one higher wattage bulb instead of

several lower wattage bulbs. However, do notexceed the manufacturers recommended

wattage for a fixture.

8. Clean bulbs and fixtures regularly for

brighter illumination.

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9. When turning off dimmer switches, make

sure the fixture is switched off. In certain

instances, the light can appear to be off,but it is still consuming electricity.

10. Some compact fluorescent bulbs can be

used with dimmer switches. Check the

package to make sure they can be used

with dimmers.Where possible, considerusing dimmable compact fluorescent bulbs.

11. Use compact fluorescent bulbs in outdoor

fixtures. Many bulbs will produce light down

to an outdoor tempature of 0F. Check to

see if they are compatible with sensor

controls or timers.

12. For holiday lighting, consider using Light

Emitting Diode (LED) solutions. Not only

will LED lights reduce electric use by morethan 90 percent, they can last up to 50,000

hours.

WASHER & DRYER

13. If you need to replace your washer, choose

an ENERGY STAR model with front-load or

horizontal axis features.They use less

electricity and water than other models.

There is a ENERGY STAR model of thistype for every household budget.

14. Wash clothes in cold or warm water rather

than hot, and rinse in cold water.The

temperature of the rinse water has no

effect on cleaning.

15. Always fill the washer and dryer to capacity

whenever possible. If you must wash smaller

loads of laundry, use the proper water level

for each individual load.

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16. Follow detergent instructions carefully.

Oversudsing actually reduces effective

washing action and may require moreenergy in the form of extra rinse cycles.

17. Fold your laundry immediately after drying

to reduce ironing.

18. Dry your clothes on an outside linewhenever possible.

19. When you use a dryer, be sure to clean the

lint filter after each load.

20. Dry all your lightweight clothes together to

shorten your drying cycle.

21. Dry two or more loads in a row to take

advantage of the heat from your dryer.

22. Keep the outside vent of your clothes

dryer clean. A clogged vent lengthens the

drying time and increases the amount of

energy used.

DISHWASHER

23. If you are buying a

dishwasher, look for

ENERGY STARqualified models with

features like air power

drying and overnight

drying settings.

24. Scrape dishes insteadof rinsing them in hot

water before loading.

If you choose to rinse

your dishes, use

cold water.

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25. Be sure that the dishwasher is full, but not

overloaded. Use the shortest wash cycle

that will clean your dishes properly and besure to use the right amount of detergent.

26. Keep your dishwasher drains and filters clean.

27. Turn off the drying cycle on your

dishwasher, open the door and let thedishware and silverware air dry.

28. Fill the sink and use a stopper, or fill a large

pot rather than wash or rinse dishes under

running hot water.

29. Use cold water instead of hot water when

running your garbage disposal. With hot

water, fats can melt and clog the drainpipe

when they cool.

OVEN & RANGE

30. Dont line oven racks with foil. It blocks

heat flow and makes the oven work harder

to cook food.

31. If you cook on an electric range top, bring

foods to boil on high; then turn to a low

setting to continue cooking.

32. Put a lid on a pot to boil water. The water

boils faster and you'll use less energy.

33. Pre-heat the oven only

when necessary.

34. Bake more than one

item at a time so you

can use one and

freeze the other.

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35. Expand your familys menus to include

stews and other single-dish meals that can

be prepared in a slow cooker. These mealsrequire far less energy than those calling for

the use of the oven plus two or three

surface units.

36. When baking, limit the number of times you

open the oven door.

37. Dont use your oven to heat the kitchen.

It not only wastes energy, it's dangerous.

38. When cooking vegetables, a small amount

of water in a covered pan is more effective

than a large amount.

39. If you have an electric oven thats a

self-cleaning, use this feature after baking

or broiling to utilize the existing heat inthe oven, rather than cleaning it from a

cold start.

40. Allow frozen meats to thaw completely

before cooking. A frozen roast placed

directly into the oven without thawing willrequire one-third more cooking time.

41. Use flat-bottomed cookware that fits on

the appropriate stove burner.

42. Invest in a pressure cooker. It cuts cooking

time and energy use by a third.

43. Heat water in a tea kettle instead of an

open pan.

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SMALL APPLIANCES

44. Look for the ENERGY STAR label when

shopping for a variety of electronics and

appliances, such as dehumidifiers, ceiling

fans, compact fluorescent lamps, DVD

player/recorder, cordless phones, or home

stereo system equipment.

45. The average home uses 24 electronic

products, accounting for up to 15 percent

of household electricity use.Turn off these

products when theyre not in use. Or, use a

power strip as a central turn off pointwhen you are finish using equipment.This

will help eliminate the standby power

consumption used by many electronics even

when they are turned off.

46. Dont leave your electric coffee pot on

simmer to keep coffee warm for an

extended period of time.

47. To cook small amounts of food, use an

electric frying pan or toaster oven evenbetter use a

microwave.

Theyre faster

than using an

oven and use

less energy.

48. Since an iron

heats faster

than it cools,

iron fabrics that require lowertemperatures first; then work up to

fabrics that require a hotter setting.

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49. When buying small appliances, read labels

carefully to compare energy use information

and operating costs of similar models.

50. Keep kitchen appliances in good working

order so they last longer, work more

efficiently and use less energy.

51. Buy electric power tools with the lowesthorsepower or amps adequate for the

work you want to do.

52. Keep electrical tools in top operating

condition. Lubricate them properly and

clean them after use. Keep cutting edges

sharp on bits or saws, so they operate

more quickly and therefore use less power.

53. If you own a waterbed, make the bed up

everyday to keep it covered and reduceheating costs. By purchasing an insulated

mattress pad, you can eliminate the need

for a heater.

REFRIGERATOR / FREEZER

54. When purchasing a new

refrigerator, choose an ENERGY

STAR qualified model.

55. Avoid locating your refrigerator

in direct sunlight or near

equipment that generates heat,

such as a range or dishwasher.

56. Leave several inches of spacebehind and on the sides of your

refrigerator so air can

circulate around the unit.

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57. Every three

months, clean

the condensercoils located

underneath or

in the back of

your

refrigerator or

freezer.

58. Be sure your

refrigerator

stands level so

the door seals

evenly and

tightly.

59. Check the door

gaskets for air

leaks by shutting a piece of paper in thedoor. If you can slide the paper out without

resistance, your refrigerator may be leaking

cold air.

60. Let hot foods cool before placing them in

the refrigerator. Cooked meats, however,should be refrigerated immediately.

61. Liquids should be covered. Moisture is

drawn from uncovered liquids, forcing your

refrigerators no-frost unit to work harder.

62. If your refrigerator has steel racks, dont

cover them with paper or foil. Doing so will

reduce the flow of cold air.

63. Dont overload! Cool air should be allowedto circulate around each container.

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64. Dont over-cool! The recommended

temperature is 38 F to 40 F. Keep your

refrigerator just low enough to chill milk. Forthe freezer section, 5 F is recommended,

low enough to keep ice cream hard. (You

may need to adjust the setting during the

summer months.) Use a thermometer to

check settings.

65. Try to cut down on the number of times

you open the refrigerator door. Plan ahead

and take out everything you'll need

at one time.

66. If youre going away for a long period, use

up perishable foods, turn your refrigerator

off and leave the door open.

67. Consider removing your second refrigerator

or freezer. If you must use a secondrefrigerator for part of the year, unplug it

for the rest of the year and leave the

door open.

68. Replace of any refrigerator or freezer in

your home thats more than ten (10) yearsold and you may save as much as $100

annually in energy costs, when you replace

it with an ENERGY STAR qualified model.

69. Remove frost when it is 1/4 inch thick.Heavy frost buildup decreases efficiency

and uses more electricity to maintain the

same temperature.

WATER70. Save water costs by turning off the tap when

you shave, wash or brush your teeth.

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71. Many hot water heaters are factory-set for

140 F. Thats a lot higher than you need.

Reset it to 120 F.

72. If you have an off-peak electric hot water

heater, set your bottom thermostat at

135 F and the top thermostat at 125 F

for maximum efficiency.

73. If you are buying a new electric hot water

heater, make sure to buy the highest

efficiency energy rating available.

74. When installing a new hot water heater,

locate it in a warm place rather than an

unheated garage or basement, if possible.

75. Wrap your hot water heater with an

insulation blanket, if allowed by

manufacturers recommendation.

76. Turn off your electric water heater when

you leave home for extended periods, such

as vacations.

77. Take showers instead of baths. A three-minute shower uses about half the water

of a bath.

78. In the summertime, take warm or even cold

showers whenever possible.

79. Turn off the hot water tap each time you

rinse dishes, or better yet - scrape, dont

rinse. Letting the tap run wastes up to 30

gallons per meal.

80. Replace washers on faucets that drip. A

leaky faucet can waste 2,500 gallons of hot

water per year.

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81. Insulate at least ten feet of hot and cold

water pipes attached to your hot

water heater.

82. Install water-saving low-flow shower heads

and sink aerators.

83. It is important to keep the system properly

maintained. Once or twice a year, drain abucket of water out of the bottom of the

heater tank because it is sometimes full of

sediment.The sediment insulates the water

in the tank from the heating element, which

wastes energy.

84. Repair leaky faucets promptly. A steady

drip of hot water can waste many gallons of

water per month, plus the energy needed

to heat the water.

INSULATION

85. Install wall outlet and switch plate gaskets

on exterior walls to cut down on the flow

of cold air.

86. Check for drafts

around windows and

doors. Caulk and

weather-strip

wherever necessary.

87. If possible, install storm

windows. If not, tightly

tape heavy duty clear

plastic sheets to the

inside of the windowframes to

reduce drafts.

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88. The most important step toward homeenergy conservation is the installation of

thermal insulation. Check current insulationlevels, and properly insulate a new orexisting home according to the U.S.Department of Energys specifications foryour geographic area. Be sure to insulateceilings, walls, and floors over unfinished

crawl spaces.

89. Double-paned windows cut heat transferby 40 to 50 percent. In extremely coldregions, triple glazing should be considered.

90. Single-paned windows should have stormwindows.Wood or metal frame stormwindows provide a second layer of glassand a barrier of still air that reducesheat transfer.

91. Install storm doors at all entrances of thehouse. Storm doors help save energy byreducing the amount of air infiltration thatoccurs when the primary door is openedand also reduces the amount of heattransfer through the primary doorwhen it is closed.

92. Weatherstrip and caulk around allentrance doors and windows tolimit air leaks that could account

for 15 to 30 percent of heatingand cooling energy needs.

HEATING& COOLING

93. Keep your heating equipment well tunedwith periodic maintenance by a serviceprofessional. If you do buy a new heatingunit, select the most energy-efficient systemwithin your budget. The initial cost may behigh, but in the long run, your operating costs

will be lower.

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94. Dust or vacuum radiator surfaces and vents

frequently to cut down on heat loss. If they

need painting, use a flat paint which radiatesheat better than glossy paint.

95. During the hot

summer months,

close insulated

drapes or shadesto help keep out

unwanted heat.

96. Keep the overhead

garage doors of

attached garages closed

to keep cold winds from getting through

the connecting door between the house

and garage.

97. Fireplaces should have tightly fittingdampers that can be closed when not in

use. A chimney can draw out as much as

25 percent of the heated/cooled air in

your house if the damper is left open.

98. In the heating season, water vaporsfrom bathing and cooking

are beneficial

because they

help humidify the

home. Dry air

takes longer toheat. So use

kitchen and bath

exhaust fans

sparingly in the winter to keep as much

heat as possible inside your house.

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99. Set the thermostat as low as comfort

permits. For instance, each degree above

68 F can add 3 percent to the amount ofenergy needed for heating. If using a heat

pump, make sure that the thermostat is

designed to operate the heat pump

efficiently when raising the temperature

after it has been lowered. Use your

judgment. Babies and the elderly mayneed higher room temperatures.

100. Close heating vents and radiator valves in

unused areas. Make sure that drapes and

furniture do not block registers for supply

or return air.

101. Seek an HVAC professional to determine

the right size cooling equipment needed.

Oversized units should be avoided not

only because they draw more energy thanis necessary, but also because they cannot

dehumidify properly.

102. Direct sunlight on a window air-

conditioning unit increases its workload.

When a choice is possible, locate units onthe north or shady side of the house.

103. Open windows during the moderate

weather of spring and fall to admit

outside air for cooling instead of

operating air-conditioning.

104. In the cooling season, run kitchen and

bath exhaust fans only long enough to

rid the house of unwanted water vapor

and odors.

105. On sunny winter days, open your

insulated drapes or shades to get the

full benefit of sun shining through

the windows.

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106. During the winter months, close your

curtains or drapes at night to cut down

on heat loss.

107. Keep doors and windows closed as much

as possible. This includes closet doors and

rooms not in use.

108. Install awnings over exterior windowsexposed to direct sunlight.

109. Install clock thermostats to automatically

control heating and cooling when you are

home and away.

110. If youre purchasing a new room air

conditioner, buy an ENERGY STAR

qualified model with a high energy

efficiency rating (EER). The higher the

rating, the more efficient the unit and theless costly it is to operate.

111. Its a waste of money and energy to run

your room air conditioner all day long just

to cool an empty house. Instead, install an

appliance timer that will activate the unitfive minutes before you arrive.

112. Replace any room air conditioner that

is more than ten years old and youll

save when you replace it with anENERGY STAR qualified model.

113. Clean or replace furnace filters often.

114. Have your furnace burner checked and

cleaned annually.

115. Exhaust fans vented to the outside

in the kitchen and bathrooms help

remove excess humidity and keep

rooms comfortable.

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116. Installing a thermostatically controlled

attic exhaust fan can lower inside

temperatures in the summertime byas much as 50 percent.

117. Use ceiling or portable fans in place of

room air conditioners whenever possible.

118. If you use an electric furnace to heat yourhome, consider replacing it with a high

efficiency ductless heat pump system,

which can cut electricity use for heating

by as much as 30 percent.

119. If you have a simple open masonry

fireplace, replace your fire screen with

glass doors and a convective grate to

reduce the loss of warm air.

The sooner you begin, themore youll save.

Conserving energy is really very easy,and the best time to start is right now.

Try as many of these energy-saving tips as you

can throughout your home, and see

how much your energy bills go down.

You may be amazed.

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Questions?

Give us a call at1-877-WISE USE

Or visit our web site atwww.ctenergyinfo.com

Were here to help you.

For more information and ideas,visit the SmartLiving Center

297 Boston Post RoadOrange, CT 06477-3537

(203) 799-0460 Local(866) 762-7899 Toll Free

For energy efficient lighting products,

order at www.smartliving.comor toll free 1-800-527-4448