Larry's Energy Saving Tips
With a little effort and these helpful tips, you can save energy and money!
- To save on water heating costs, wrap your water heater in a hot water insulation kit, which is available at most hardware stores.
- Use a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature of your home while you are away or sleeping
- Sealing and insulating your home will improve comfort and reduce heating and cooling costs. to improve the "envelope of your home, add insulation, seal air leaks and choose energy-efficient windows.
- Refrigerators account for up to 20% of a home's electricity costs. To keep your power bills low, use only as much energy as necessary. The refrigerator should be set between 38ºF and 42ºF. The freezer should be set between 0ºF and 5ºF.
- Upgrade your refrigerator if it is 10 years old or older. Newer, efficient models can reduce energy consuption by up to half that of a 10-year-old conventional model.
- Wash clothes in cold water an always have a full load. There are several cold temperature detergents on the market. Keep in mind 15 minutes of presoaking and 5 minutes of agitation get clothes cleaner than 15 minutes of agitation.
- Take advantage of incentives and rebates. Check with your local utility to see what rewards are available for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances, lighting or heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
- Turn off the circuit breaker for the air conditioning compressor in the off-season. The heating coil running in the winter not only invites unwanted stowaways, it costs up to $14 per month in electrical cost.
