30 Things You Can Do Today To Conserve Energy

1. Cool your home naturally by opening windows to create a cross current.
   
   
2. During the summer months, draw shades during the day to keep cool, and then open them at night.
   
   
3. Keep your thermostat at 78 degrees F or higher during the summer months. Each degree that you raise the thermostat on your cooling system saves 2 on your electric bill.
   
   
4. Clean or replace air and vent filters once a month.
   
   
5. Be sure the tire pressure in your car's tires is kept at optimum levels.
   
   
6. Be sure to have regular oil changes.
   
   
7. Replace regular light bulbs with fluorescent ones, which last up to 10 times longer.
   
   
8. Turn off your computer and monitor when you're not using them. That can save as much as $100 per year in electricity costs.
   
   
9. Enable the sleep mode on your computer.
   
   
10. Air dry dishes rather than using the dryer heater in your dishwasher.
    
    
11. Your dishwasher is more efficient when full. Wait until it's full before turning it on.
    
    
12. Keep oven door closed and pan lids on. Peeking in the oven causes the temperature to drop 25-50 degrees F.
    
    
13. Turn off the oven a few minutes before the full cooking time has elapsed. Retained heat will finish the cooking process.
    
    
14. On gas stovetops, fit the flame to the pan, and the pan to the task. On electric ranges, use flat-bottomed pans that make full contact with heating surfaces.
    
    
15. Wash laundry in cold water instead of warm. Cold water washes just as effectively and costs less.
    
    
16. Wait until you have a full load of laundry to wash. Your washer uses the same amount of energy regardless of the size of the load.
    
    
17. Your dryer is more efficient when full. Combine loads to optimize its energy use.
    
    
18. Use only as much detergent as you need. Over sudsing causes your washer to work harder and use more energy.
    
    
19. Clean the lint filter after every load. Lint reduces airflow to the dryer and causes it to work harder.
    
    
20. Switch to showers. A typical bath uses 15 to 25 gallons of hot water. A five-minute shower only uses 10.
    
    
21. Drain a quart of water from your hot water tank every three months. This removes sediment and boosts efficiency.
    
    
22. Keep the temperature inside our refrigerator at 37-40 degrees F and your freezer at 0-5 degrees F. Cooler temps are not necessary.
    
    
23. Keep it loose inside your fridge. Crowding cramps air circulation.
    
    
24. Regularly dust or vacuum the coils on the back or bottom of your refrigerator. This increases efficiency and prevents the unit from breaking down.
    
    
25. Regularly defrost your refrigerator and freezer, before frost builds to ¼ inch. Frost puts a chill on energy efficiency.
    
    
26. Keep it stocked. A full freezer is a well performing freezer, and keeps foods frozen longer during a power outage.
    
    
27. Don't pay to heat areas you're not using. Close the heating vents in unoccupied rooms and save 5-10%.
    
    
28. Keep light bulbs clean. Dirt absorbs as much as 50% of a bulb's light.
    
    
29. Keep your thermostat down a few degrees. Experts recommend 68 degrees F. Every degree below that lowers your bill by 1-3%.
    
    
30. Let the sun shine in - be mindful of opening shades on the sunny side of the house while you are at work to help warm those rooms.

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