1. Set your water heater temperature no higher than 120 degrees.
2. Limit your shower length to 5-7 minutes.
3. Take the guard off your refrigerator base and clean the dust and debris.
4. Set the refrigerator temperature to 34-37 degrees and freezer to 0-5.
5. Unplug unused refrigerators and freezers. Better yet, recycle them!
6. Use the air-dry cycle instead of heat-dry on your dishwasher.
7. Use cold water when washing clothes.
8. Make sure vents are not blocked by furniture or drapes.
9. Only do full laundry and dishwasher loads.
10. Consider using a "solar-powered" clothes dryer : a clothes line
11. Make sure the outdoor dryer exhaust door closes when the dryer is off.
12. Make sure the dryer vent hose is tightly connected to dryer and wall.
13. Ensure your outdoor heat pump/air conditioner unit is kept clean.
14. Turn computers, electronics and any other energy-using device off when they are not in use. Better yet, unplug them if possible.
15. Set your thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer and 68 in the winter.
16. Keep windows closed and locked when heating or cooling your home.
17. Close fireplace dampers when not burning a fire. Remember to open them before starting a fire.
18. Open your shades during winter days to catch free solar heat, and close them on winter nights to keep heat in.
19. Keep your garage door down. A garage that is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer will save energy.
1. Caulk around windows, doors and baseboards.
2. Replace your furnace filter as recommended by the manufacturer.
3. Replace incandescent light bulbs with light emitting diodes (LED bulbs).
4. Install motion sensors on your lights.
5. Have your air-conditioner tuned-up by a professional contractor.
6. Replace your shower head with a low-flow shower head.
7. Install switch and outlet gaskets/foam inserts on outer walls.
8. Add a water heater blanket if your water heater is not well insulated.
9. Use a smart power strip for electronics.
10. Install foam pipe wrap around hot water pipes.
11. Caulk around plumbing penetrations that come through walls beneath bathroom and kitchen sinks.
12. Caulk electrical wire penetrations at the top of the interior walls.
13. Ensure windows and doors are properly weather-stripped.
1. Get an energy audit and implement the recommended measures!
2. Replace your inefficient heating/cooling equipment with a high efficiency model, such as an air-source or ground-source heat pump.
3. Add insulation in your attic.
4. Replace old appliances with Energy Star® appliances.
5. Repair and insulate duct work if it isn’t properly done already.
6. Replace an older water heater with an energy-efficient model.
7. Install more cold air returns if your house needs increased air circulation to increase furnace efficiency.
8. Install Energy Star® windows and doors.