DID YOU KNOW?
. You could use 30% LESS energy in your home just by using energy more wisely and purchasing products with the ENERGY STAR ® label. You can find the ENERGY STAR on refrigerators, clothes washers, computers, dishwashers, room air conditioners, TVs, VCRs, dehumidifiers, lighting, ceiling fans, and more!
. About 35% of all electricity used in the United States is used to run homes.
. Where does your home use energy?
- 60% - Air conditioning/heat
- 16% - Water heater
- 12% - Refrigerator
- 7% - Lights
- 5% - Computers, TV, etc.
. The amount of electricity you use is measured in, and priced by, kilowatt-hours (kWh). When you pay for a kilowatt-hour of electricity, you are paying for 1,000 watts of electricity used continuously for one hour.
. You can calculate the operating cost of any electrical appliance by checking its wattage and using these formulas:
- wattage x hours used/1,000 = kWh
- kWh x cost per kWh = operating cost
BASIC ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
. Look for the ENERGY STAR label , the symbol for energy efficiency, when shopping for major appliances and lighting.
. Shift energy-intensive tasks - like laundry and dishwashing - to off-peak energy-demand hours (mornings, nights and weekends).
. Use a timer or programmable thermostat and set it to automatically lower your home's temperature when you are not at home or asleep.
. Caulk and weatherstrip around doors, attic access, windows, outlets, any area that can let the cold air in and the warm air out.
. Change your furnace filter. A dirty filter makes your furnace less efficient, and can lead to expensive repairs.
LAUNDRY
DID YOU KNOW?
. 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water.
. ENERGY STAR ® clothes washers use 35-50% less water than standard models, saving about 7,000 gallons a year per household.
. They also use 50% less energy, saving you up to $120 a year (depending on the water temperature setting and whether it's an electric or natural gas hot water heater).
LAUNDRY ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
. Only wash and dry full loads.
. Always rinse in cold water.
. Hang your laundry outdoors to dry.
. Remove the lint from your dryer screen.
. Make sure the clothes dryer exhaust is not blocked.
REFRIGERATOR
DID YOU KNOW?
. Your refrigerator uses the most electricity of all the appliances in your home.
. A refrigerator produced in 1990 uses twice the amount of electricity needed to operate an ENERGY STAR ® model.
. ENERGY STAR refrigerators have better insulation and efficient motors, as well as all the features you want and expect.
REFRIGERATOR ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
. Select a refrigerator/freezer with energy-saving features. It's guaranteed to use 20% less electricity than the standard model, saving you approximately $60 a year. Get more info on ENERGY STAR refrigerators .
. Regularly clean the condenser coils of your refrigerator that are typically located underneath or behind the refrigerator.
. Make sure the seals on your refrigerator, freezer and oven doors fit tightly. Easily perform this test by leaving a lit flashlight inside a closed appliance and if you see light around the gasket, replace the gasket.
DISHWASHER
DID YOU KNOW?
. ENERGY STAR ® dishwashers are at least 13% more energy efficient than standard models.
. An ENERGY STAR dishwasher saves approximately 1,200 gallons of water a year - 6 times the amount of water the average person drinks in a year!
. 60% to 80% of the power used by a dishwasher is consumed just to heat the water.
DISHWASHER ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
. Run your dishwasher only when full.
. Air dry the clean dishes by turning the energy-saver switch on.
LIGHTING
DID YOU KNOW?
. Replacing your current incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) will save you nearly $30 over the life of each bulb.
. CFLs use 75 percent less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. This means that over the life of one CFL, a consumer can avoid replacing up to 9 incandescent bulbs!
. ENERGY STAR ® lighting fixtures put out the same amount of light as standard fixtures while providing excellent color rendering and light temperature. Colors appear true and natural.
. ENERGY STAR fixtures operate at much lower temperatures than many traditional lamps, drastically reducing the risk of fire in your home.
LIGHTING ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
. Turn off unused lights and appliances when you leave a room.
. Use timers on indoor and outdoor lights.
AIR CONDITIONING
DID YOU KNOW?
. Replacing a 15-year-old room air conditioner with a new ENERGY STAR ® room air conditioner could save you up to $56* a year on electricity.
. Programmable thermostats will automatically raise the air-conditioning temperature at night and lower it again in the morning. They cost about $25 and will lead to instant savings on electric bills.
. Running an appropriately sized smaller unit for a longer time will use less energy to completely condition a room than running a larger unit for a shorter time.
AIR CONDITIONING ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
. Set your air-conditioning thermostat at 78ºF or higher during the cooling season. Each degree above 75ºF saves you 3% of the energy used to cool your home.
. Change or clean your air filter per the manufacturer's recommendation.
HOME OFFICE
DID YOU KNOW?
. Look for the ENERGY STAR ® label on computer monitors, fax machines, copiers and water coolers.
. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.
. Home electronic products use energy when they're off to power features like clock displays and remote controls. Those that have earned the ENERGY STAR use as much as 50% less energy to perform these functions, while providing the same performance at the same price as less-efficient models.
HOME OFFICE ENERGY SAVING TIPS
. Turn off lights in offices and conference rooms when they are not in use.
. Turn off office equipment when it is not needed at night or on the weekends.
NATURAL HEATING ENERGY SAVING TIPS
. Open your draperies, windows and doors on the sunny side of your home during the day to increase solar heat gain.
. Use the reverse setting on ceiling fans to push the warm air down.
THE BATH - ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
. Use your exhaust fans sparingly. In just one hour they can remove a houseful of warmed or cooled air.
. Repair all leaky faucets. One drop per second can waste as much as 10 gallons of water in a week.
. Take showers rather than baths. A typical shower requires only half as much hot water as an average tub bath.
THE ATTIC - ENERGY-SAVING TIPS
. Check your insulation - especially your attic. By increasing and filling gaps in insulation in older homes you keep your home warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, and save you money all year round.
. Install a vapor barrier in your attic to reduce the flow of moisture from inside your home through the insulation. This eliminates condensation that reduces insulation efficiency.
*Savings will vary depending on your air conditioner size, hours of use, and your electric rates. Please ask your sales representative to help you better understand the potential savings for your situation.
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