In Your Home – Conserve Energy
- Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
- If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.
- Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.
- Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
- Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.
- Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
- Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .
- When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
- Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
- Unplug seldom used appliances.
- Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
- Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
- Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.
- Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
- Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
- Only use electric appliances when you need them.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
- Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer.
- Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away
- Insulate your home as best as you can.
- Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.
- Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
- Plant trees to shade your home.
- Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.
- Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
- Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
- Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.
- Buy green electricity - electricity produced by low - or even zero-pollution facilities (NC Greenpower for North Carolina - www.ncgreenpower.org). In your home-reduce toxicity