Energy Efficiency Tips

Energy Saving Tips for Consumers and Businesses

• Install a programmable thermostat to keep a building comfortably warm in the winter and comfortably cool in the summer.

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with the ENERGY STAR® label.

• Turn off your computers, monitors and other equipment when not in use.

• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.

• Take short showers instead of baths.

• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

• Add insulation to your attic.

• Add caulk or weather stripping to seal air leaks around leaky doors and windows.

• Insulate and repair all air ducts.

• Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers.

• Clean or replace furnace, air-conditioner, and heat-pump filters

• Replace aging, inefficient appliances. Even if the appliance has a few useful years left, replacing it with a top-efficiency model is generally a good investment. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label on all appliances.

• On hot days, avoid using the oven; cook on the stove, use a microwave oven, or grill outside.

• If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.

• Use light-emitting diode—or "LED"—holiday light strings to reduce the cost of decorating your home or business for the winter holidays.

• Plant trees or shrubs so they shade air conditioning units and do not block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.

• Install energy efficient windows and doors.