• An energy audit shows where your home uses the most energy and helps you decide how to reduce energy costs.  Do it yourself or contact your local utility. 
  • Check the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors and crawl spaces to see if it meets the recommended R-values for your area.
  • Water heating can be expensive, but you can lower your costs.  Repair leaky faucets, use low-flow showerheads and lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120 degrees.
  • Working from home is becoming increasingly popular, but office equipment can run up the electricity bills.  Look for ENERGY STAR computers, copiers, printers and fax machines when purchasing new equipment.  ENERGY STAR products use about half the electricity of standard equipment.  Turn off machines when not in use and make sure power management features are activated.  Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers. 
  • If you have to drive, combine errands into one trip.   Several short trips, each from a cold start, can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.
  • Turn off the lights in any room you're not using, and use task lighting to focus the light where you need it.  Also try compct fluorescent lamps; they are more efficient and last longer than incandescent bulbs.
  • About 80 to 85 percent of the energy used for washing clothes is used to heat the water.  To reduce this cost, use less water:  Wash full loads and use cooler water and cold-water detergents.  Switching the temperature setting from hot to warm cuts a load's energy use in half.  If you are in the market for a new washer, look for the ENERGY STAR and read EnergyGuide labels.  You can reduce drying costs as well:  clean the lint filter after every load to improve air circulation, and don't over-dry clothes.  Use the cool-down cycle to allow clothes to finish drying with residual heat.   Also, periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it's not blocked.  Consider buying a natural gas dryer; the cost per load is less than an electric dryer. 
  • Plug TV's, DVD players and other home electronics into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use.  (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power)  
  • Use an interior fan along with your window air conditioner.  Together they'll spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use. 


BDix 8/11/2009