|
| |
Your Home
> Conservation > Energy & Water Saving Tips
Energy & Water Saving Tips
Reducing your energy and water use is the easiest way to
save money on your utility bill. Our energy and water saving tips will
show you how to cut your energy and water use while staying comfortable.
Energy Saving Tips:
In the Kitchen
-
If you have a second refrigerator or freezer,
consider getting rid of it. Each one can add more than $100 a year to
your energy bill.
-
When cooking, use pots & pans that are properly sized to the
burners and for the amount of food you are cooking.
-
Avoid opening the oven while food is cooking. Each
time you open that door; the oven temperature is lowered approximately 25
degrees.
-
Check the seal on your refrigerator door by
closing a dollar bill in it. If you can pull the bill out easily, it's
time to replace the gaskets.
-
Check temperature settings for your appliances. Refrigerator
temperature should be 36-38 degrees and freezer temperature should be 0-5
degrees. Refrigerator thermometers are included in our
Free Energy & Water Saving Kits. Pick
one up at the Light & Water office today!
-
Arrange items in your refrigerator for quick removal and return.
-
Air-dry your dishes in the dishwasher. Allowing dishes to air-dry
can save 50% of the energy used to run the dishwasher.
Lighting
-
Turn off lights as soon as you leave a room.
-
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent (CFLs) ones. They use up to 70% less energy and last up to 10
times longer.
-
Keep lights & fixtures clean,
which can improve efficiency
as much as 20%.
-
Take advantage of reflected light by placing portable
fixtures near light colored walls or other surfaces.
-
Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact
fluorescent (CFLs) ones. They use up to 70% less energy and last up to 10
times longer.
-
Use task lighting instead of overhead or general
lighting.
-
Keep lamps away from thermostats. The heat produced can cause your
furnace to run less than needed, and your air conditioner to run more than
normal.
Water Heating
-
Purchase the correct size water heater.
-
Set the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees -
about halfway between low and medium.
-
Wrap a fiberglass blanket around your electric water
heater. Water heater wrap kits can be purchased at your local hardware
store for about $20.
-
Insulate hot water pipes.
Cooling your Home
-
Whole-house fans can be installed in the attic or
ceiling to pull fresh air through the house.
-
Locate your air conditioner on the north, east, or
best-shaded side of your home. Keep shrubbery away from the air
conditioner, since it blocks vents and reduces the unit’s ability to exhaust
air.
-
Make sure your air conditioner is properly sized for
your home.
-
Raise your thermostat in the summer. Raising the
thermostat from 73 to 78 degrees can mean savings of up to 15% in cooling
costs.
-
Change your air conditioner filter monthly during
heavy use.
-
Use light colors when painting house and trim.
-
Plant shad trees. Outside shad can reduce air
conditioning costs 30%.
-
Improve the ventilation in your attic. Install an
attic fan.
Heating your Home
-
Set your thermostat no higher than 68 degrees when you are home
and lower the temperature a few degrees when you go to bed or when not at home.
One easy way to do this is to purchase a programmable thermostat that
automatically lowers and raises your temperature on a set schedule.
-
Weatherize your home by caulking and weather-stripping all doors
and windows. Also use the locks on your windows to make them tighter and draft
resistant.
-
Add foam gaskets behind all outlet covers and
switch-plates. Also, use safety plugs in all unused outlets.
-
Insulate or increase the amount of insulation in your attic,
basement, and outside walls.
-
Cover through-the-wall air conditioners to prevent cold air from
leaking in your home.
-
Keep shades and curtains open during the day on the south side of
your home to allow solar heating. Close them at night to retain heat.
-
Don’t block your radiators or heating vents with furniture or
draperies. Keep your radiators, registers, and baseboard heaters dirt and dust
free. Place a sheet of aluminum foil between the radiator and the wall to
reflect heat back into the room.
-
Close vents and doors in unused rooms.
-
Have your heating system serviced once a year and regularly
replace furnace filters. During the heating season, filters should be changed
or cleaned once a month.
Laundry
-
Clean the dryer’s lint filter after each use. This allows the air
to circulate efficiently.
-
Wash only full loads and use
cold water. Use hot water only for very dirty loads, and always use
the cold water rinse cycle.
Water Saving Tips:
In the Kitchen
-
Prepare food efficiently. Speed cleaning food by
using a vegetable brush. Spray water in short bursts. Faucet aerators cut
consumption.
-
Defrost sensibly. Plan ahead to defrost foods
overnight in the refrigerator. Don’t use running water.
-
Reduce dishwashing. Use a rubber spatula to scrape
dishes clean to limit pre-rinsing. Let really dirty pans or dishes soak to
speed up washing. Limit dishwasher use to full loads.
-
Use hot water efficiently. Letting water run from the
faucet until it heats up is a waste. Instead of sending it down the drain,
capture clean water for other uses.
-
Use ice to cool water. Cool drinking water in
refrigerator or with ice, not by running tap. Use leftover drinking water
for pets or to water plants.
-
Avoid using garbage disposals. Compost or feed
leftovers to pets when possible. Use recycled water in disposal.
In the Bathroom
-
Turn the water off. Don’t let it run when you
brush your teeth.
-
Take showers instead of baths, and limit shower times.
A five-minute shower will use about 7.5 gallons of hot water, while filling
a bathtub can use up to 20 gallons.
-
Install water-saving, low-flow showerheads.
They don't reduce your water pressure and can save a family of 4
approximately $250 a year.
-
Don’t fill the bath tub
all the way up.
-
Only wash full load of clothes.
-
Install faucet aerators in all sinks.
Outside the Home
-
Wash cars efficiently. Choose a car wash that
recycles water. At home, use a shut-off nozzle and wash your car in small
sections. Direct runoff to water landscaping.
-
Water yards wisely. Landscaping benefits most from
slow, thorough, infrequent watering. Minimize evaporation by water in early
morning or evening. Aerate lawns.
-
Mulch to retain water. Plant hardy, water-saving
plants, trees, and shrubs, particularly native species. Mow less
frequently in dry times. Limit lawn by using gravel or bark.
-
Cover pools and spas to reduce evaporation. Avoid
overflows and splashes by reducing water levels. Water landscape with
wading pool water.
-
Conserve when dining out. At restaurants, request
only the drinking water you need. At work, fill your durable cup at the
water fountain to reduce waste.
|
NEW GLARUS LIGHT & WATER
