Five FREE things you can do to cut energy use:| CHANGE | COST | SAVINGS |
| Turn the computer off when it is not in use. | $0 | Around $60 per year. |
| Adjust the heat or air conditioner when you leave the house for a few hours. | $0 | Up to 10% on annual heating and cooling bills. |
| Use the microwave as often as possible. | $0 | Nuking food for a few minutes costs about a fifth of the amount it takes to cook food longer in the oven or on the stove. |
| Turn down the temperature on your water heater. |
$0 | 3% - 5% savings for every 10 degrees you lower the temperature. Try lowering it to 120 degrees. |
| Unplug electronics when they are not in use - particularly cellphone chargers - and put computers and televisions on power strips that can be turned off. | $0 | Televisions, cellphone chargers, stereos and other electrocnics suck electricity even when they are off. Save 5% on your electricity bill. |
Five CHEAP ways to cut energy use:
| CHANGE | COST | SAVINGS |
| Switch one heavily used incandescent light bulb to a compact fluorescent bulb. |
$5 | $20 per year. |
| Install low-flow showerheads. | $15-$25 | $25-$65 per year. |
| Seal windows, doors and any other openings with new caulking and weather stripping . | $100-$300 | Up to 10% on your heating or cooling bills. |
| Seal other air leaks. Install foam insulation gaskets behind electricity outlet plates or light switch plates. Close the damper on the fireplace when it is not in use. | $0-$10 | 3% - 5% savings for every 10 degrees you lower the temperature. Try lowering it to 120 degrees. |
| Unplug electronics when they are not in use - particularly cellphone chargers - and put computers and televisions on power strips that can be turned off. | $0 | Savings are small but incremental as you seal more crevices. |
Five steps that seem frugal, but could cost you:
| Use the fireplace. | Little savings, and possibly a cost. Fireplaces are inefficient because they draw heated air up the chimney, pull cold air into the home and cause your main heating system to work harder and longer. |
| Use space heaters. | Space heaters can efficiently warm a small space for a short time. But they aren’t as efficient as central heat for warming a home for hours at a time. |
| Install solar panels. | There are lots of good reasons to buy solar panels, but saving money isn’t one of them. Until the cost of solar panels goes down, the savings on your electricity bill probably won’t make them economical. |
| Set the thermostat on one temperature and leave it alone. | This is an old wives’ tale. You’ll save money by turning the heat or air conditioner down when you leave the house. Program your thermostat to do this automatically so you don’t forget. |
| Leave ceiling fans on. | Ceiling fans make a room feel cooler when turning in the normal direction and warmer when reversed. But, like lights, they only benefit the people in the room. Turn them off when you leave a room. |
Five Holiday Tips:
- Choose glass or ceramic pans for the oven. They heat faster than metal and allow you
to set the temperature 25 degrees lower. Meals will cook just as quickly. - Use slow cookers, which can cook a whole meal for about 17 cents’ worth of electricity.
- Use microwaves as much as possible.
- Clean burners and reflectors to get better heating and save energy.
- Unplug all holiday lights at the wall outlet before going to bed or leaving the house.
Use timers to turn off outdoor displays.
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