Energy Efficiency Tips

There are several benefits to using less electricity, including environmental benefits and decreasing your electrical bill. Try these tips:

Refrigerators use a large percentage of a household's electricity use. Set your refrigerator to cool to somewhere between 38-42 degrees, and your freezer 0-5 degrees. If you've got an energy saver switch, make sure it's on. Doors should be sealed tight: to test, stick a dollar bill between the gaskets and close the fridge door; if the bill is hard to pull out you're in good shape. If not, it's time to replace the gaskets.
Wash only full loads in your dishwasher and activate the air dry function.
Do your laundry with cold water whenever possible. Heating hot water accounts for 90% of the energy used by your machine (only 10% is used by the motor).
Lower the temperature of your hot water heater to 120-130 degrees (any lower than that might backfire on you, since you might end up running out of hot water).
Dirt and neglect are the top causes of heating and cooling system inefficiency and failure. Change your system's air filter regularly and have routine maintenance performed by a qualified technician.
Set your computer to revert to the sleep mode when not in use. Windows users can do this via the control panel, while Mac users can find energy saving settings under system preferences in the apple menu.
Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs, and don't forget the porch light and bathroom vanity, which are two of the most used lights in your home.
Turn off lights when not in use.
Unplug electronics, battery chargers, and power adapters when not in use. Many of these items continue to use electricity when not in use.
Make sure all heating vents are clear of furniture and rugs in order to improve airflow and comfort.
Use the right sized pots with stove burners; for example, a 6" pot on an 8" burner wastes over 40% of the heat generated. Cover pots and pans when cooking to keep heat in.
If you replace home appliances, purchase energy efficient models. Appliances manufactured before 1993 use twice as much energy, on average, to new energy efficient appliances.