"Conservation" has become sort of a mantra these days - spoken of by resolute world leaders and concerned homeowners alike. And it can be as complex as turning soybeans into Bioheat® or as simple as shutting the light when you leave a room.
By following the tips below (some of them not requiring you to spend any money), you can:
HEATING |
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Have your furnace or boiler regularly maintained by a local Long Island Oilheat professional. You can save up to 10% off your annual energy bill.
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2.
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Keep your fireplace damper closed when not in use to prevent up to 5% heat loss. When using your fireplace, turn down your thermostat and open a window near the fireplace to prevent warm air from being pulled from other areas of your house.
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3.
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Seal duct leaks with mastic, metal-backed tape (as opposed to the usual duct tape) or aerosol sealant to reduce heat loss when your furnace is on.
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4.
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Use a programmable thermostat - it can help save you as much as 20% on heating costs by automatically turning your heating system up or down to coincide with your daily routine. (Source: Alliance to Save Energy)
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5.
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Keep your furnace filter and vents clean. Dirty filters reduce airflow, making your furnace work harder and use more energy. If you use a furnace, replace its filter monthly during the heating season and you could reduce heating costs by 5%.
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6.
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Open the doors inside your home open to improve air circulation and the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems.
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7.
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Turn off kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans when you don't need them. In just one hour, all the heated air in your home can be drawn out through an exhaust vent.
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8.
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Let the sun shine in during the winter by opening drapes on south-facing windows. At night, close drapes to retain heat. Close drapes to provide insulation where windows receive no direct sunlight. Up to 15% of your heat can escape through unprotected windows.
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9.
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Upgrade to a high-efficiency heating system. Click here to read about the advantages of upgrading.
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10.
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Lower your thermostat setting from 72 to 68 degrees during the heating season to save 5% on heating costs.
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11.
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Make sure your home is properly insulated, otherwise you could lose up to 25% of your heating energy. Your attic needs at least six inches of insulation. Also insulate crawl spaces, walls, floors and heating ducts.
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COOLING |
12.
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Plant shade trees to shade your house from the sun during the summer - it could save up to 8% on cooling costs.
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Change or clean your air conditioning filter monthly during cooling season to improve efficiency and the life of your air conditioner.
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14.
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Consider buying a whole house or attic fan. It draws in cool nighttime air through your open windows and forces out hot air that builds up during the day.
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Use ceiling fans to cool your home - they're much cheaper to operate than air conditioners, and moving air feels cooler, so you can keep your thermostat setting higher.
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By raising your thermostat setting from 72 to 78 degrees, you can save approximately $100 in summer.
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17.
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Open windows on cool summer days and nights. A good rule of thumb is not to open windows when the outside temperature is warmer than the inside of your house.
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Keep the coils of your central or window air conditioner free of dust and dirt.
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19.
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Make sure the output of your air conditioner is right for the size of your room or house to ensure optimum efficiency and comfort.
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20.
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Use a programmable thermostat. This device can save as much as 12% on cooling costs by automatically turning your cooling system up or down to coincide with your daily routine.
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21.
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Keep your central air conditioner condenser in the shade and reduce your cooling costs by nearly 3%.
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PLUMBING & WATER HEATING |
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Repair leaky faucets. One drop per second from a leaky faucet wastes up to 400 gallons of water a year. Not only is water wasted, but so is the energy to heat the water.
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23.
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Choose low-flow showerheads and faucets - they can reduce your water consumption by as much as 10% and save on energy to heat the water. A family of four can save as much as 15,000 gallons a water a year when installing these fixtures.
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24.
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Insulate your water heater and hot water pipes to reduce heat loss and water heating costs.
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25.
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Set your water heater at 120 degrees or less, you can save up to $25 a year (if you use an electric water heater).
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26.
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Drain sediment from your water heater tank every six months to improve water heater efficiency and save energy.
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27.
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Take a short shower instead of a bath. Every minute you cut from shower time saves three gallons of water and the energy used to heat that water.
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28.
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Turn your water heater down to the lowest setting while on vacation.
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29.
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Choose a high-efficiency water heater. An indirect oil-fired water heater produces an almost endless supply of hot water with a very fast recovery time.
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KITCHEN APPLIANCES |
Refrigerator / Freezer
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30.
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Clean refrigerator coils once a year to extend the life of your fridge and reduce energy waste.
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31.
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Cover refrigerated foods. When less moisture evaporates into the air, less energy is used to cool the food, since moist air takes more energy to cool than dry air.
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32.
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Set your refrigerator between 34 and 37 degrees; set your freezer to 5 degrees. Not only are these temperatures safest for food storage, but most refrigerators are manufactured to operate most efficiently at these settings.
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Buy the smallest freezer you'll need. A freezer operates most efficiently when full.
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Consider a high-efficiency refrigerator. Top-freezer models use 7% to 13% less energy and are usually less expensive than side-by-side models.
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Oven / Range / Microwave
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Choose a gas range with a pilotless ignition. This eliminates the need for a continuously burning pilot light, which reduces your natural gas usage.
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36.
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Keep your oven door closed! Every time you open the oven door, the oven temperature can drop 25 degrees. Use the oven light or a timer to avoid wasting energy.
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37.
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Defrost food before cooking - you could save 30 to 50% on cooking costs. And pre-heat your oven only for baking.
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38.
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Use lids and turn off electric burners early. Lids trap steam and help food to cook faster. Electric burners retain heat even after you turn them off.
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Retain oven heat with a good door seal.
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40.
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Use small appliances, such as your electric skillet, toaster oven or indoor grill instead of your oven for baking and cooking small quantities.
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41.
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In the summer, use heat-producing appliances during the cooler hours of the day. And consider using your microwave or outdoor grill instead of your range when it's warm out.
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Dishwasher
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42.
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Run your dishwasher only when it's full.
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43.
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Scrape, don't rinse your dishes. You'll save water and the energy to heat the water.
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44.
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Air-dry dishes. Also, avoid using the heat-dry, rinse-hold and pre-rinse features.
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45.
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Choose a high-efficiency dishwasher - they use 25% less energy than conventional models.
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Clothes Washer / Dryer
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46.
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Run full loads of laundry and shorten wash cycles.
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47.
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Wash clothes in the coolest water possible. 80% of the cost to run your washer is used for heating the water.
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48.
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Since your dryer retains heat, dry loads back-to-back.
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Clean your dryer filter and exhaust vent - when they're clogged with lint your dryer works harder and uses more energy.
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50.
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Use the auto-dry feature.
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Choose a high-efficiency clothes washer and dryer. High-efficiency washers use half the water of standard models. High-efficiency dryers can save up to 30% in energy over standard models.
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LIGHTING |
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Turn off lights when you leave a room.
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53.
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Install dimmers and motion sensors wherever possible.
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54.
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Use three-way bulbs to increase light and reduce energy.
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55.
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Install motion detector lights for outdoor lighting.
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56.
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Install compact fluorescent bulbs where you can. Over the life of one CFL bulb you will save approximately $25.
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WEATHERIZING YOUR HOME |
57.
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Install reflective window coatings to reflect sun away from your home.
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58.
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During the winter, open curtains, blinds and shades to let the sun shine in and warm your home. During the summer, close curtains, blinds and shades to retain cool air.
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59.
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Seal window drafts with plastic film. You could save more than $40 a year on your energy bill in one heating season.
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60.
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Control air leaks: Plug gaps around pipes, ducts and vents that go through walls to prevent losing heated air. Caulk or seal plumbing or wiring holes at ceiling level. Add weather-stripping to doors and windows.
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"Conservation" has become sort of a mantra these days - spoken of by resolute world leaders and concerned homeowners alike. And it can be as complex as turning soybeans into Bioheat® or as simple as shutting the light when you leave a room.
By following the tips below (some of them not requiring you to spend any money), you can:
