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Sierra Club Energy Saving Tips
Energy-Saving Solutions for Your Home
Energy costs are reaching record highs, and heating and electricity bills are keeping pace. Luckily, there are steps you can take in your home to lower your heating and electricity bills.Stop funneling money to coal-fired power plants
Tip # 1 - Purchase clean, renewable electricity!
Visit green-e.org to find out if you can switch from purchasing electricity from CO2-spewing coal-fired power plants to clean, renewable energy sources.Smarter Lighting: A Bright Idea
One of the easiest and cheapest places to start saving energy is with lighting.Tip #2 -- Replace your most frequently used incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs use only a third as much electricity as a standard incandescent bulb. Because a compact fluorescent will usually last ten times as long as a regular bulb, which means it is will easily pay for itself. If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), it would prevent enough pollution to equal the removal of one million cars from the road.Tip #3 -- Replace outdoor lighting with a motion-detector equipped bulb or fixture.
Outdoor lights that are left on all night can add unnecessary waste energy and disturb wildlife. You can safely and efficiently light the outside of your home by installing light fixtures that are activated by motion sensor or a timer. These devices will keep areas well lit when you need them to be while reducing your energy billHot Water shouldn't be a drain on your wallet.
Over 10% of your energy bill goes to heating water for your dishwasher, shower, and faucets. You can cut this energy use, and your energy bill, by implementing these easy steps.Tip #4 -- Lower your hot water heater to 120 degrees and drain any sediment.
Though you need to keep your water heater above 120 degrees to prevent bacteria from building up, many hot water heaters are set too high. Draining some water a few times a year reduces sediment and increases efficiency.Tip #5 -- Add insulation to your hot-water heater.
The standard hot water heater is on all the time, adding extra insulation will save more energy than you think. Most hardware stores sell pre-made insulator "jackets" that can be easily wrapped around one's water heater. Adding insulation to your water heater and any exposed pipes can knock up to 15 percent off the costs of heating water.Tip #6 -- Install a low-flow shower head.
Low-flow shower heads are also a worthwhile investment (especially for renters, because you can take them with you) that will reduce the amount of hot water you use and hence the energy needed to heat it.Heat your home - Not the planet.
Heating and cooling your home is the single largest expense on your energy bills. But taking steps to weatherize your home, you can make keeping your home a comfortable temperature easier and cheaper.Tip #7 -- Check for and seal any cracks or gaps.
Heating one's home is the single largest use of energy for the average customer. Tiny gaps and cracks in an older home are roughly equivalent to a one-foot square hole punched in your wall, which means that sealing gaps with caulking and weather stripping makes a big difference in keeping the heat inside your home and saves you money.Tip #8 -- Tighten Windows and Loosen Your Budget
If all windows were as efficient as the best products now widely available in the marketplace, the average household would save $150 a year, and reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by about 4,300 pounds per year. A cheaper and easier method than replacing windows is to insulate your windows during the colder months with transparent film that keeps the heat in and the cold out.Tip #9 -- Heating Ducts: Keep the air flowing
If just one in ten households used current technology to upgrade their inefficient heating systems, we could keep 17 billion pounds of pollution out of the air. You can also save money and cut pollution by having your heating vents and ducts cleaned regularly, and having your furnace serviced.Tip # 10 - Sweaters are in this season, so lower your thermostat!
Besides insulation, you can make a big difference in your heating bill by keeping your home at a slightly lower temperature. Lowering your thermostat one degree can cut as much as 10% of your heating bill.Appliances and Electronics
Tip # 11 -- Replace old appliances with more efficient models.
Though buying a new appliance isn't cheap, replacing an old appliance, like a refrigerator, washing machine, or furnace -- with a new, energy-efficient model can significantly cut your energy bill. Look for the Energy Star label as a minimum; some models can be even more efficient. And though buying a new appliance is a major investment, many states and utility companies offer substantial credits or other incentives to replace an outdated appliance with a more efficient one.Tip # 12 Defrost your Freezer
The frost and ice that builds up in your freezer over time does more than make it hard to get to your ice cream - it also causes your freezer to work harder to keep the freezer at a cold temperature. By routinely defrosting your freezer, you can keep your ice cream cold and the planet cool.Tip # 13 - Dirty Clothes, Clean Planet
Modern washing machines and detergents can clean clothes effectively in cold water - which means you don't have to waste energy by using hot water. Another way you can save energy in your washer-dryer and your dishwasher is to always wash full loads.
Here are some energy-saving tips from Earth Share:
Insulate windows, doors, attics, and crawlspaces against draft. Earth Share says that if all windows in the United States were energy-efficient, we would save up to 2.5 percent of the total amount of energy we consume each year. If you're thinking of replacing a window, look into installing energy-efficient windows -- you'll save money in the long run.
When replacing appliances, check for an energy efficiency label. Many new appliances come with an Energy Efficiency Rating (EER). The higher the EER, the less it will cost you to operate the appliance.
Adjust air conditioning and heating thermostats to use less energy when you're not at home or sleeping. When you're at home during the summer, 78 degrees F is a comfortable, energy-efficient temperature. Keep your cooling system well maintained by a professional.
Wrap your water heater in an insulated jacket. You can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 4,000 pounds a year.
Turn off unneeded lights and appliances. Lighting accounts for 30 to 50 percent of a building's energy use, according to Earth Share. Simply by turning off unnecessary lights, you can reduce the amount of energy used for lighting by up to 45 percent.
Use cold water to wash clothes -- not hot water.
Install a whole-house ventilating system. This system can cool an entire house for about the same price as running an air conditioner in one room.
Conserving energy reduces CO2 emissions, helps reduce our reliance on foreign oil — and saves you money.
Top 10 Energy Efficiency Tips
Turn off computers and other office equipment when they're not being used, especially overnight and weekends. Cost: Nothing! Savings potential: As much as $44 per year, per computer, depending on what you pay per kilowatt-hour.
Install an occupancy sensor in hallways, bathrooms and other areas where lights can be left off most of the time. Cost: Between $25 and $80. Savings potential: About $40 per year depending on where the sensor is installed.
Lower the thermostat on your water heater. Cost: Nothing! Savings potential: About $24 per year, if the setting is reduced by 10 degrees F, and operates at the lowest allowable temperature for normal use.
Turn off your water heater overnight and on weekends. Cost: Nothing, or $30 if you buy an automatic timer to do it for you. Savings potential: As much as $54 per year depending on how much hot water you use.
Set back your thermostats at night and on weekends. Cost: Nothing! Savings potential: About $1,800 per year for a 33,000-sq. ft. office building with a thermostat set at 75 degrees F, 24 hours per day during the heating months.
Close drapes or blinds in warmer months to keep the sunshine from overheating your house. Just do the opposite in the colder months to give your thermostat a break. Cost: Nothing! Savings potential: About $5 per window depending on location and time of year.
Clean all air filters monthly. Cost: Nothing to clean, and about $2 if you need to replace one. Savings potential: As much as $60 per filter, depending on the size of your HVAC system.
Check for drafts coming from doors and windows, then caulk and weather-strip them as necessary. Cost: $5 or less. Savings potential: About $2 per fixed draft.
Adjust your thermostats for colder weather. Simply set them at the lowest temperature allowable that keeps employees and customers comfortable. A setting of 70-75 degrees Fahrenheit (F) is the standard industry recommendation. Cost: Nothing! Savings potential: About $1,000 per year for a small office building open Mon.-Fri., 7am to 7pm.
Install LED exit signs. They're 100% longer lasting than conventional exit signs and the most energy efficient of their kind! Cost: About $70 to retrofit. Savings potential: About $24 per year, per sign, not to mention the maintenance savings.
Reprinted from Energy.com, Inc., a beMANY Co.
THE HOME ENERGY SAVER Find the Best ways to Save Energy in Your Home
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