Effective Ways to Conserve Energy

Listed below are some of the quickest and most effective ways to help you conserve energy, trim costs, and gain control over the energy usage in your home. You should post these tips in your home so that everyone can join in and save!

1. Limit the time you run your pool pump:
– Summer – six hours a day
– Winter – four hours a day

2. Cool your home at 78 degrees or warmer with the thermostat fan switched to auto. For additional savings, raise your thermostat to 82 degrees or warmer when you’re away.

3. Heat your home at 68 degrees or cooler with the thermostat fan switched to auto. To save even more, lower your thermostat to 65 degrees or cooler at night or when you’re away from home.

4. Reduce your water heater temperature from 140 degrees to 120 degrees, which is the recommended temperature setting according to the U.S. Department of Energy, to save about $2 a month.

5. Clean or replace the A/C filter regularly to help your unit run more efficiently and trim cooling costs.

6. Turn off your ceiling fan when you leave the room. A fan that runs all the time costs up to $7 a month.

7. Replace old, high-flow showerheads with water-efficient showerheads and save up to $80* a year.

8. Adjust the water level on your washing machine to match the load size, especially when using hot water. Always use a cold rinse.

9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer before every load to dry your clothes faster.
*Use the auto sensor function on your dryer to conserve energy by not over-drying your clothes.

**  Annual savings calculated based on two people in the home using water-efficient shower heads.

Take the Shower head Test

Here’s an easy way to determine if your shower head is water efficient. Take the showerhead test.

1. Get a bucket and a watch/clock that counts seconds.
2. Place the bucket underneath the showerhead.
3. Turn the shower on all the way using cold water.
4. Time how long it takes for one gallon of water to fall into the bucket.

Check Your Timing

If it takes:

Less than 24 seconds to fill a gallon of water, then you do not have the most efficient shower head because its flow exceeds the recommended 2.5 gallons per minute.
More than 24 seconds to fill a gallon of water, then you have an efficient shower head.