Energy Saving Tips About 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water. To reduce the amount of energy used for washing clothes - use less water and use cooler water. Energy Saving Tips In the summer, follow the sun around the house; before it heats up a room, pull down window shades to block its rays. When there’s a cool breeze, open the windows to cool your home’s interior. Energy Saving Tips Maintain your central air conditioner by cleaning the outside compressor with a garden hose (after shutting off power at the fuse or breaker first). Keep plantings at least one foot away for adequate air flow. Energy Saving Tips If your home can’t accommodate central air conditioning, try a whole-house attic fan. This device pushes hot air out through attic vents, lowering the temperature throughout your home about five degrees in less than ten minutes. Attic fans cost less than 25 cents per day to operate Energy Saving Tips Tinted window film can help reduce heat gain during the summer, and it will keep furniture and carpets from fading. Energy Saving Tips Do a home energy audit. This survey analyzes your home’s structure, appliances and insulation, as well as your family’s lifestyle. Energy Saving Tips If your basement is unheated, install blanket insulation in between exposed floor joists. Energy Saving Tips You can lose up to 60% of your heated air before it reaches the register if your ducts aren’t insulated and they travel through unheated spaces such as the attic or crawlspace. Energy Saving Tips During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows. Energy Saving Tips Change or clean your furnace filter once a month. Dust and dirt can quickly clog vital parts, making your furnace run harder an eventually break down. Energy Saving Tips If you have a wood-burning fireplace, have the chimney cleaned and inspected regularly, and burn only fully-dried hardwoods to produce the most heat output. Energy Saving Tips Take more showers than baths. Bathing uses the most hot water in the average household. You use 15-25 gallons of hot water for a bath, but less than 10 gallons during a 5-minute shower. Energy Saving Tips Don’t overload the refrigerator or freezer. The cold air needs to circulate freely to keep foods at the proper temperature. Energy Saving Tips Buy a new energy-efficient water heater. While it may cost more initially than a standard water heater, energy savings will continue during the lifetime of the appliance. Energy Saving Tips Check the exterior of your home for air leaks, especially around openings for water spigots, air conditioner hoses, dryer vents and gas pipes. Use caulk or expanding foam to seal spaces. Energy Saving Tips If you have a self-cleaning oven, use this feature immediately after cooking, while the oven is still hot. This will reduce a lengthy warm-up time. Energy Saving Tips A well-placed tree, shrub, or vine can deliver effective shade, act as a windbreak, and reduce overall energy bills. Energy Saving Tips Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers. Energy Saving Tips Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is going. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney. Energy Saving Tips Have a leaky roof repaired and make sure your basement is waterproofed. Wet insulation is worthless. Energy Saving Tips Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 120 degrees provides comfortable hot water for most uses. Energy Saving Tips Avoid high speeds when driving. Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying $0.10 more per gallon of gas. Energy Saving Tips To be a water saver, install a low-flow showerhead and keep showers under five minutes. Turn off the water to soap up. Energy Saving Tips Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time. Test your toilet for leaks by putting food coloring in the tank. If it’s leaking, the coloring will appear in the toilet without flushing. Energy Saving Tips When shopping for new windows, remember the lower the U-value, the better the insulation. In colder climates, a U-valve of 0.35 or below is recommended. These windows have at least double glazing and a low-e coating. Energy Saving Tips Check the seal on your refrigerator door by closing it on a dollar bill. If you can pull the bill out easily, it’s time to replace the gaskets. You can purchase a replacement kit from an appliance dealer or a home center. Energy Saving Tips Be aware of outdoor water usage. If you use a hose and sprinkler to water the lawn, set a timer as a reminder to move them around the yard. If you have an automatic watering system, make sure it’s set to turn on and off at the correct times. Energy Saving Tips In the summer, follow the sun around the house; before it heats up a room, pull down window shades to block its rays. When there’s a cool breeze, open the windows to cool your home’s interior. Energy Saving Tips Whole-house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. They are effective when operated at night and when the outside air is cooler than the inside. Energy Saving Tips Keep in mind that insulation and sealing air leaks will help your energy performance in the summertime by keeping the cool air inside. Energy Saving Tips Don’t leave your refrigerator door open. Every time it’s opened, up to 30 percent of the cooled air can escape. The same rule holds for the oven, too. Energy Saving Tips Plant a tree. One well-placed shade tree can reduce your cooling costs by 25 percent. For maximum benefit, place leafy shade trees to the south and west, and evergreens to the north. Energy Saving Tips Set the fan on your central air conditioner to “on” rather than “auto”. This will circulate air continuously, keeping the temperature more even throughout the house and aiding in dehumidification. Energy Saving Tips Raise the thermostat to about 78 to 80 degrees whenever you go to bed or leave the house. A programmable thermostat will do this for you automatically. Energy Saving Tips Place your room air conditioner on the north side of the house. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun. Energy Saving Tips Use ceiling and box fans to help circulate air throughout the house, and make sure your attic is properly ventilated. A ceiling fan should run clockwise during the summer and counter-clockwise during the winter. Energy Saving Tips If your air conditioner is old, consider purchasing a new, energy-efficient model. You could save up to 50% on your utility bill for cooling when you purchase an ENERGY STAR model.