Download - 101 Ways to Save
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101+
WAYSTO SAVEENERGY.
1-877-WISE USE
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Weve done ourhomework to help you
save energy and money.
Through the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund,
weve come up with 101+ ways to help youlower your energy bills and save money.
Many are no-cost or low-cost tips.
Take a look at which ones you can take
advantage of to start saving now.
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LIGHTING
1. Turn off lights when you leave a room or
when they're not needed.
2. Use a timer to turn house lights off and on
automatically.
3. Replace your incandescent light bulbs with
ENERGY STAR qualified
compact fluorescent light
bulbs (CFLs). CFLs last
longer and use as little as
one-quarter the energyof regular light bulbs.
4. Put lamps in corners of
rooms so light reflects off
two walls. Use lightcolors on walls, ceilings and
floors to reflect more light.
5. Use task lighting over desks, tables
and workbenches rather than
lighting the whole area.
6. Take advantage of natural light
whenever possible. Keep windows clean
and unobstructed.
7. Select low wattage, ENERGY STAR qualified
CFLs for general lighting. If you do use
incandescent lighting, avoid long life bulbs,
which are the least efficient of all incandescent
bulbs. Use one higher wattage bulb instead of
several lower wattage bulbs. However, do notexceed the manufacturers recommended
wattage for a fixture.
8. Clean bulbs and fixtures regularly for
brighter illumination.
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9. When turning off dimmer switches, make
sure the fixture is switched off. In certain
instances, the light can appear to be off,but it is still consuming electricity.
10. Some compact fluorescent bulbs can be
used with dimmer switches. Check the
package to make sure they can be used
with dimmers.Where possible, considerusing dimmable compact fluorescent bulbs.
11. Use compact fluorescent bulbs in outdoor
fixtures. Many bulbs will produce light down
to an outdoor tempature of 0F. Check to
see if they are compatible with sensor
controls or timers.
12. For holiday lighting, consider using Light
Emitting Diode (LED) solutions. Not only
will LED lights reduce electric use by morethan 90 percent, they can last up to 50,000
hours.
WASHER & DRYER
13. If you need to replace your washer, choose
an ENERGY STAR model with front-load or
horizontal axis features.They use less
electricity and water than other models.
There is a ENERGY STAR model of thistype for every household budget.
14. Wash clothes in cold or warm water rather
than hot, and rinse in cold water.The
temperature of the rinse water has no
effect on cleaning.
15. Always fill the washer and dryer to capacity
whenever possible. If you must wash smaller
loads of laundry, use the proper water level
for each individual load.
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16. Follow detergent instructions carefully.
Oversudsing actually reduces effective
washing action and may require moreenergy in the form of extra rinse cycles.
17. Fold your laundry immediately after drying
to reduce ironing.
18. Dry your clothes on an outside linewhenever possible.
19. When you use a dryer, be sure to clean the
lint filter after each load.
20. Dry all your lightweight clothes together to
shorten your drying cycle.
21. Dry two or more loads in a row to take
advantage of the heat from your dryer.
22. Keep the outside vent of your clothes
dryer clean. A clogged vent lengthens the
drying time and increases the amount of
energy used.
DISHWASHER
23. If you are buying a
dishwasher, look for
ENERGY STARqualified models with
features like air power
drying and overnight
drying settings.
24. Scrape dishes insteadof rinsing them in hot
water before loading.
If you choose to rinse
your dishes, use
cold water.
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25. Be sure that the dishwasher is full, but not
overloaded. Use the shortest wash cycle
that will clean your dishes properly and besure to use the right amount of detergent.
26. Keep your dishwasher drains and filters clean.
27. Turn off the drying cycle on your
dishwasher, open the door and let thedishware and silverware air dry.
28. Fill the sink and use a stopper, or fill a large
pot rather than wash or rinse dishes under
running hot water.
29. Use cold water instead of hot water when
running your garbage disposal. With hot
water, fats can melt and clog the drainpipe
when they cool.
OVEN & RANGE
30. Dont line oven racks with foil. It blocks
heat flow and makes the oven work harder
to cook food.
31. If you cook on an electric range top, bring
foods to boil on high; then turn to a low
setting to continue cooking.
32. Put a lid on a pot to boil water. The water
boils faster and you'll use less energy.
33. Pre-heat the oven only
when necessary.
34. Bake more than one
item at a time so you
can use one and
freeze the other.
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35. Expand your familys menus to include
stews and other single-dish meals that can
be prepared in a slow cooker. These mealsrequire far less energy than those calling for
the use of the oven plus two or three
surface units.
36. When baking, limit the number of times you
open the oven door.
37. Dont use your oven to heat the kitchen.
It not only wastes energy, it's dangerous.
38. When cooking vegetables, a small amount
of water in a covered pan is more effective
than a large amount.
39. If you have an electric oven thats a
self-cleaning, use this feature after baking
or broiling to utilize the existing heat inthe oven, rather than cleaning it from a
cold start.
40. Allow frozen meats to thaw completely
before cooking. A frozen roast placed
directly into the oven without thawing willrequire one-third more cooking time.
41. Use flat-bottomed cookware that fits on
the appropriate stove burner.
42. Invest in a pressure cooker. It cuts cooking
time and energy use by a third.
43. Heat water in a tea kettle instead of an
open pan.
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SMALL APPLIANCES
44. Look for the ENERGY STAR label when
shopping for a variety of electronics and
appliances, such as dehumidifiers, ceiling
fans, compact fluorescent lamps, DVD
player/recorder, cordless phones, or home
stereo system equipment.
45. The average home uses 24 electronic
products, accounting for up to 15 percent
of household electricity use.Turn off these
products when theyre not in use. Or, use a
power strip as a central turn off pointwhen you are finish using equipment.This
will help eliminate the standby power
consumption used by many electronics even
when they are turned off.
46. Dont leave your electric coffee pot on
simmer to keep coffee warm for an
extended period of time.
47. To cook small amounts of food, use an
electric frying pan or toaster oven evenbetter use a
microwave.
Theyre faster
than using an
oven and use
less energy.
48. Since an iron
heats faster
than it cools,
iron fabrics that require lowertemperatures first; then work up to
fabrics that require a hotter setting.
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49. When buying small appliances, read labels
carefully to compare energy use information
and operating costs of similar models.
50. Keep kitchen appliances in good working
order so they last longer, work more
efficiently and use less energy.
51. Buy electric power tools with the lowesthorsepower or amps adequate for the
work you want to do.
52. Keep electrical tools in top operating
condition. Lubricate them properly and
clean them after use. Keep cutting edges
sharp on bits or saws, so they operate
more quickly and therefore use less power.
53. If you own a waterbed, make the bed up
everyday to keep it covered and reduceheating costs. By purchasing an insulated
mattress pad, you can eliminate the need
for a heater.
REFRIGERATOR / FREEZER
54. When purchasing a new
refrigerator, choose an ENERGY
STAR qualified model.
55. Avoid locating your refrigerator
in direct sunlight or near
equipment that generates heat,
such as a range or dishwasher.
56. Leave several inches of spacebehind and on the sides of your
refrigerator so air can
circulate around the unit.
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57. Every three
months, clean
the condensercoils located
underneath or
in the back of
your
refrigerator or
freezer.
58. Be sure your
refrigerator
stands level so
the door seals
evenly and
tightly.
59. Check the door
gaskets for air
leaks by shutting a piece of paper in thedoor. If you can slide the paper out without
resistance, your refrigerator may be leaking
cold air.
60. Let hot foods cool before placing them in
the refrigerator. Cooked meats, however,should be refrigerated immediately.
61. Liquids should be covered. Moisture is
drawn from uncovered liquids, forcing your
refrigerators no-frost unit to work harder.
62. If your refrigerator has steel racks, dont
cover them with paper or foil. Doing so will
reduce the flow of cold air.
63. Dont overload! Cool air should be allowedto circulate around each container.
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64. Dont over-cool! The recommended
temperature is 38 F to 40 F. Keep your
refrigerator just low enough to chill milk. Forthe freezer section, 5 F is recommended,
low enough to keep ice cream hard. (You
may need to adjust the setting during the
summer months.) Use a thermometer to
check settings.
65. Try to cut down on the number of times
you open the refrigerator door. Plan ahead
and take out everything you'll need
at one time.
66. If youre going away for a long period, use
up perishable foods, turn your refrigerator
off and leave the door open.
67. Consider removing your second refrigerator
or freezer. If you must use a secondrefrigerator for part of the year, unplug it
for the rest of the year and leave the
door open.
68. Replace of any refrigerator or freezer in
your home thats more than ten (10) yearsold and you may save as much as $100
annually in energy costs, when you replace
it with an ENERGY STAR qualified model.
69. Remove frost when it is 1/4 inch thick.Heavy frost buildup decreases efficiency
and uses more electricity to maintain the
same temperature.
WATER70. Save water costs by turning off the tap when
you shave, wash or brush your teeth.
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71. Many hot water heaters are factory-set for
140 F. Thats a lot higher than you need.
Reset it to 120 F.
72. If you have an off-peak electric hot water
heater, set your bottom thermostat at
135 F and the top thermostat at 125 F
for maximum efficiency.
73. If you are buying a new electric hot water
heater, make sure to buy the highest
efficiency energy rating available.
74. When installing a new hot water heater,
locate it in a warm place rather than an
unheated garage or basement, if possible.
75. Wrap your hot water heater with an
insulation blanket, if allowed by
manufacturers recommendation.
76. Turn off your electric water heater when
you leave home for extended periods, such
as vacations.
77. Take showers instead of baths. A three-minute shower uses about half the water
of a bath.
78. In the summertime, take warm or even cold
showers whenever possible.
79. Turn off the hot water tap each time you
rinse dishes, or better yet - scrape, dont
rinse. Letting the tap run wastes up to 30
gallons per meal.
80. Replace washers on faucets that drip. A
leaky faucet can waste 2,500 gallons of hot
water per year.
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81. Insulate at least ten feet of hot and cold
water pipes attached to your hot
water heater.
82. Install water-saving low-flow shower heads
and sink aerators.
83. It is important to keep the system properly
maintained. Once or twice a year, drain abucket of water out of the bottom of the
heater tank because it is sometimes full of
sediment.The sediment insulates the water
in the tank from the heating element, which
wastes energy.
84. Repair leaky faucets promptly. A steady
drip of hot water can waste many gallons of
water per month, plus the energy needed
to heat the water.
INSULATION
85. Install wall outlet and switch plate gaskets
on exterior walls to cut down on the flow
of cold air.
86. Check for drafts
around windows and
doors. Caulk and
weather-strip
wherever necessary.
87. If possible, install storm
windows. If not, tightly
tape heavy duty clear
plastic sheets to the
inside of the windowframes to
reduce drafts.
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88. The most important step toward homeenergy conservation is the installation of
thermal insulation. Check current insulationlevels, and properly insulate a new orexisting home according to the U.S.Department of Energys specifications foryour geographic area. Be sure to insulateceilings, walls, and floors over unfinished
crawl spaces.
89. Double-paned windows cut heat transferby 40 to 50 percent. In extremely coldregions, triple glazing should be considered.
90. Single-paned windows should have stormwindows.Wood or metal frame stormwindows provide a second layer of glassand a barrier of still air that reducesheat transfer.
91. Install storm doors at all entrances of thehouse. Storm doors help save energy byreducing the amount of air infiltration thatoccurs when the primary door is openedand also reduces the amount of heattransfer through the primary doorwhen it is closed.
92. Weatherstrip and caulk around allentrance doors and windows tolimit air leaks that could account
for 15 to 30 percent of heatingand cooling energy needs.
HEATING& COOLING
93. Keep your heating equipment well tunedwith periodic maintenance by a serviceprofessional. If you do buy a new heatingunit, select the most energy-efficient systemwithin your budget. The initial cost may behigh, but in the long run, your operating costs
will be lower.
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94. Dust or vacuum radiator surfaces and vents
frequently to cut down on heat loss. If they
need painting, use a flat paint which radiatesheat better than glossy paint.
95. During the hot
summer months,
close insulated
drapes or shadesto help keep out
unwanted heat.
96. Keep the overhead
garage doors of
attached garages closed
to keep cold winds from getting through
the connecting door between the house
and garage.
97. Fireplaces should have tightly fittingdampers that can be closed when not in
use. A chimney can draw out as much as
25 percent of the heated/cooled air in
your house if the damper is left open.
98. In the heating season, water vaporsfrom bathing and cooking
are beneficial
because they
help humidify the
home. Dry air
takes longer toheat. So use
kitchen and bath
exhaust fans
sparingly in the winter to keep as much
heat as possible inside your house.
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99. Set the thermostat as low as comfort
permits. For instance, each degree above
68 F can add 3 percent to the amount ofenergy needed for heating. If using a heat
pump, make sure that the thermostat is
designed to operate the heat pump
efficiently when raising the temperature
after it has been lowered. Use your
judgment. Babies and the elderly mayneed higher room temperatures.
100. Close heating vents and radiator valves in
unused areas. Make sure that drapes and
furniture do not block registers for supply
or return air.
101. Seek an HVAC professional to determine
the right size cooling equipment needed.
Oversized units should be avoided not
only because they draw more energy thanis necessary, but also because they cannot
dehumidify properly.
102. Direct sunlight on a window air-
conditioning unit increases its workload.
When a choice is possible, locate units onthe north or shady side of the house.
103. Open windows during the moderate
weather of spring and fall to admit
outside air for cooling instead of
operating air-conditioning.
104. In the cooling season, run kitchen and
bath exhaust fans only long enough to
rid the house of unwanted water vapor
and odors.
105. On sunny winter days, open your
insulated drapes or shades to get the
full benefit of sun shining through
the windows.
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106. During the winter months, close your
curtains or drapes at night to cut down
on heat loss.
107. Keep doors and windows closed as much
as possible. This includes closet doors and
rooms not in use.
108. Install awnings over exterior windowsexposed to direct sunlight.
109. Install clock thermostats to automatically
control heating and cooling when you are
home and away.
110. If youre purchasing a new room air
conditioner, buy an ENERGY STAR
qualified model with a high energy
efficiency rating (EER). The higher the
rating, the more efficient the unit and theless costly it is to operate.
111. Its a waste of money and energy to run
your room air conditioner all day long just
to cool an empty house. Instead, install an
appliance timer that will activate the unitfive minutes before you arrive.
112. Replace any room air conditioner that
is more than ten years old and youll
save when you replace it with anENERGY STAR qualified model.
113. Clean or replace furnace filters often.
114. Have your furnace burner checked and
cleaned annually.
115. Exhaust fans vented to the outside
in the kitchen and bathrooms help
remove excess humidity and keep
rooms comfortable.
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116. Installing a thermostatically controlled
attic exhaust fan can lower inside
temperatures in the summertime byas much as 50 percent.
117. Use ceiling or portable fans in place of
room air conditioners whenever possible.
118. If you use an electric furnace to heat yourhome, consider replacing it with a high
efficiency ductless heat pump system,
which can cut electricity use for heating
by as much as 30 percent.
119. If you have a simple open masonry
fireplace, replace your fire screen with
glass doors and a convective grate to
reduce the loss of warm air.
The sooner you begin, themore youll save.
Conserving energy is really very easy,and the best time to start is right now.
Try as many of these energy-saving tips as you
can throughout your home, and see
how much your energy bills go down.
You may be amazed.
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Questions?
Give us a call at1-877-WISE USE
Or visit our web site atwww.ctenergyinfo.com
Were here to help you.
For more information and ideas,visit the SmartLiving Center
297 Boston Post RoadOrange, CT 06477-3537
(203) 799-0460 Local(866) 762-7899 Toll Free
For energy efficient lighting products,
order at www.smartliving.comor toll free 1-800-527-4448