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Simple Steps Around the Home
Air Conditioning
- Use fans when possible instead of AC.
- A few carefully placed fans can create a cross-breeze that will cool down a room quickly.
- Close your curtains and shades at night; open them during the day.
- Make sure the "fresh air" vent on the air conditioner is closed so you are not cooling outside air.
- Clean leaves and debris from the unit and clean the filter often.
- Read HowStuffWorks' Guide to Maintaining Your Air Conditioner.
Dishwasher
- Load dishes in their proper locations to ensure maximum cleaning efficiency.
- Martha Stewart has written a helpful guide to "Dishwasher Strategy."
- Set to 120 degrees or the "low" setting.
- Scrape, don't rinse, dishes before loading the dishwasher.
- Only wash full loads and use the shortest wash cycle.
- Avoid using the "rinse hold" setting on your dishwasher.
- This wasteful cycle uses up 3-7 gallons of water.
- Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.
- Keep the drain unclogged and clean.
- Boscov's:
Whirlpool Energy Star Dishwasher (Sponsored)
Heating System
- Try to leave your thermostat as low as possible while keeping comfortable.
- A sweatshirt or an extra blanket at night can keep you warm for free!
- Keep your basement, attic and garage doors closed to keep in heat.
- A ceiling fan kept at low speed will spread heat evenly around the room.
- Keep furniture away from heat registers and AC ducts.

Figure 3: Space heaters are a great money-saving option for enclosed areas - Keep the temperature in the bathrooms cooler than the rest of your house by keeping the doors closed.
- Use space heaters when taking a shower on cold mornings.
- A programmable thermostat helps you automatically regulate your energy usage.
- 68 degrees when you're home.
- 65 when you're away briefly.
- 58 when you're gone more than five hours.
- Insulated drapes or quilted curtains keep more heat inside your home.
- Close the chimney flue and seal unused fireplaces.
- Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season.
Home Electronics
- Turn off your TV, VCR and DVD player when they're not in use.
- When an appliance isn't being used, make sure it is turned completely off.
- Unplug it if necessary.
- 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.
- Turn off your coffee machine after the second cup of coffee.
- Store any remaining cups in an insulated container to keep them warm.
Computers
- First, make sure that your computer is set to enter sleep after a few minutes of non-use.
- Consumer Reports estimates that you can save 80% off your computer's electrical use through this small step.
- Read this post at Daily Cup of Tech detailing a variety of techniques for cutting down your network power consumption.
Laundry
- Presoak or use the soak cycle when washing heavily soiled garments.
- Wash and rinse clothes in cold water.
- Wait until you have a full load to do a wash.
- Be stingy with the detergent.
- Too much detergent forces the machine to work harder.
- On sunny days, hang clothes outside to dry.
- Don't overload the dryer.
- Clean the dryer's lint trap after each load.
- Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
- Dry two or more loads in a row, to take advantage of the dryer's retained heat.
Pools and Spas
- Use a solar cover to naturally keep your pool warm.
- Clean the filters often.
- Shop.com:
BlueBlack Solar Cover 15 Mil (Sponsored)
Refrigerator and Freezer
- Avoid repeatedly opening the fridge just to look around.

Figure 5: If the coils are in the back or difficult to reach, you can pull out the fridge from the wall a bit, then vacuum them using an attachment. - Set the thermometer for 38 degrees on the fridge and 0-5 degrees on the freezer.
- Let hot foods cool before putting them in the fridge.
- Don't overstuff the freezer.
- Clean the coils that cool your refrigerator regularly.
- You can save yourself some effort by investing in a refrigerator coil brush.
- Amazon:
Refrigerator Coil Cleaning Brush (Sponsored)
Stove and Oven
- When cooking, keep the lids on pots.
- Cook with a full oven.
- Prepare dishes together when possible.
- Thaw foods before cooking.
- Keep your stove's reflector pans shiny to maximize efficiency.
- If the flames on your stovetop are yellow, it needs to be cleaned.
- Don't open the oven door while cooking; instead, look through the window.
- Crockpots, toaster ovens, frying pans and pressure cookers all use less energy than an electric stove.
- Only boil as much water as you're going to need.
- Using a small pan on a large burner wastes energy.
- Choose a stove range with multiple burner sizes.
Water Heater
- Use cold water instead of hot whenever possible.
- Keep the water off while you shave, brush your teeth, etc.
- Set the heater's temperature at 120 degrees.
- Take showers instead of baths.
- Installing a low-flow shower head will help you use less hot water.
- Put an insulating blanket around the water heater.
- Fix dripping faucets quickly.
- A dripping hot water faucet wastes 212 gallons a month!
- Take a look at the Department of the Interior's Drip Accumulator to get an idea of how much water you may be wasting.
- Amazon:
Water Heater Blankets (Partner)
No Cost
- Open blinds and shades.

Figure 6: Switching to fluorescents would trim the world's electricity bill by nearly one-tenth. - Fluorescent bulbs use 1/4 the energy of traditional incandescent bulbs and last six times longer.
- Check out this Fast Company article for more information about the coming fluorescent bulb revolution.
- Disconnect or remove lamps in multiple lamp fixtures.
- Putting a lamp in the corner gives off more light than the center of a room.
- Place security lights on a timer.
- Use "task lighting."
- Direct light to the areas in a room where it's needed rather than keeping the entire room bright.
Low Cost
- Check the "lumens" setting when buying a new bulb.
- The higher the lumens, the brighter the bulb.
- Install dimmer switches on lights when possible.
- Most fluorescent lights unfortunately can't use dimmer switches.
- Use three-setting bulbs when possible.
More Expensive Improvements
- Painting your walls light colors keeps your whole house or apartment brighter.
Significant Home Improvements
- Consider performing a home energy audit.
- The U.S. Department of Energy has a handy step-by-step guide.

Figure 7: Everything you need to know to audit your home consumption, from the U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Star offers a professional energy audit service in certain areas.
Insulation
- This guide from Home Depot will give you an idea about some of the home improvement projects that will better seal and insulate your home.
- Seal your home's envelope.
- This includes walls, floors, ceilings and the roof.
- Seal cracks in the basement floor to keep heat in.
- Weather-strip around windows and doors.
- Insulating pipes can keep hot water hot, allowing you to lower the temperature on your water heater.
- This includes walls, floors, ceilings and the roof.
- Double-pane or triple-pane windows cut heat loss.
- Select windows with air leakage ratings of 0.3 cubic feet per minute or less.
- Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows to reduce solar gain.
- Most homes should have 6-7 inches of attic insulation minimum.
- The most efficient way to insulate a home is to start in the attic.

Figure 8: Without attic insulation, your home loses 40% of its heat through the roof Stoves and Ovens
- Using a small pan on a large burner wastes energy.
- Choose a stove range with multiple burner sizes.
Energy-Efficient Appliances
- This guide from the U.S. Department of Energy can help you decide whether or not to invest in a more energy-efficient appliance.
- Check for products bearing the Energy Star logo, which have been determined by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy to increase efficiency and save money.
Air Conditioning
- Buy an air conditioner with a high Energy Efficiency Rating (EER).

Figure 9: Attic Fan illustration by George Retseck from Popular Mechanics - Rating should be 13 or higher on central systems.
- An air conditioner generally needs 20 BTU for every square foot of living space.
- Install your air conditioner in a shady place.
- Install an attic fan.
- Hot air trapped in the attic can make your whole house warmer.
- Consider installing a whole-house evaporative cooler.
- Same results, with 75% less energy used than an air conditioner.
- Cooking.com:
Haier Energy Star Window Air Conditioner (Sponsored)
Washer/Dryers
- Take a look at eHow's Guide to Choosing a Dryer and this overview from The California Energy Commission.
- Gas clothes dryers are more efficient but more difficult to install.
- Look for a dryer with a cool-down period, or "perma-press," cycle.
- These employ cool air at the end of the cycle rather than hot.
- Look for a dryer with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry.
- Choose a clothes washer with a "mini-basket," allowing you to do very small loads without wasting water and power.
- Place your dryer in a warm space for maximum efficiency.
- Make sure your dryer is vented properly.
- AjMadison:
Speed Queen Stacked Electric Washer/Dryer ENERGY STAR (Sponsored)
Budget Plans and Rate Decreases
- Many energy companies offer discount programs, those making an effort to conserve energy or those who lack the financial resources to pay full price.
- Get Energy Active has a lot of information about local programs that may be available in your city.

Figure 10: Get Energy Active's site is a useful resource for savings ideas and tips. - For example, Southern California Edison offers the CARE Program, providing a 20% discount for income-qualified customers.
- Sempra Energy offers a variety of Assistance Services for customers.
- Check out the website for your local utility.
- Most will discuss their money-saving programs openly on the front page.
- Often, this section will be indicated by the phrase "Help for Qualified Customers," "Energy Assistance Program" or "Alternate Rates".
- Typically, these programs will take the form of rebates or financial aid.
- Some programs may require proof of income or home inspection.
- Be sure to find out what the requirements and qualifications are before enrolling in the program.
- Failure to pay energy bills in a timely fashion will frequently void discount programs or other special arrangements.
Solar Water Heater
- Consider investing in a solar heater if you live in a warm climate
- Solar water heaters gather their energy from the sun, and can then store heated water for later use
- Before purchasing a solar water heater, you should estimate its annual operating cost and compare it to your current energy bill
- Use the Department of Energy guidelines to performing this calculation
- Determine the most efficient sized heater
- A 50-60 gallon tank is sufficient for one or two people
- Check the local building codes and regulations regarded solar energy systems
- It's likely that you'll need to get a permit before beginning
- It's generally a good idea, unless you already have some experience, to get a professional contractor to install your water heater
- Make sure the company is licensed and certified
Guides to Energy Saving in the Home and Additional Resources

Figure 11: Lots of great DIY suggestions from Lifehacker - Lifehacker's Energy Conservation category collects all of their blog posts on the subject on one page.
- Flex Your Power's Residential Energy Saving Tips
- California Energy Commission: Energy Choices in the Home
- ConsumerReports.org: 20 free ways to save energy (2006)
- PowerHouseTV.com: Saving Energy: 101 Ways to Save
- Popular Mechanics: Your Energy Footprint
- Listphile: Earth Friendly Tips for the Home
- MichaelBluejay.com: Saving Electricity 101
- Bob Vila's Home Remodeling Blog: Energy Efficiency category
- Blackle: Energy Saving Search Engine
- A 2007 blog post estimated that a dark Google would save 750 Megawatt-hours a year because it takes more wattage to power a white page than a black one.

