| Tips » Quick fix |
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Tip 31:
Turn the heat up (or down).
About 47 percent of the average household's annual energy bills stem from heating and cooling, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Adjusting your thermostat is free, easy and can yield big savings. |
$ Factor: Every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer will reduce air conditioning bills by about 2 percent, said Jeff Deyette, energy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists. Lowering the temperature by one degree in winter will save you 3 percent on heating bills. |
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Tip 32:
Install a programmable thermostat.
If
your house is empty
for long periods of
time while your family
is at work or school,
a programmable thermostat
may make sense. It allows
you to use less heat
or air conditioning
when you're away from
home or sleeping. |
$ Factor:
Programmable
thermostats start at
about $30, are easy
to install and will
shave about 10 percent
off of your heating
and cooling bills, says
Ronnie Kweller, spokeswoman
for the Alliance to
Save Energy. The average
annual savings is about
$100. |
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Tip 33:
Switch to cold water.
Almost 90 percent of the energy used to wash clothes is used to heat the water, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Save money and energy. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water, instead of hot, using a detergent formulated for cold-water use. |
$ Factor:
Turning the dial from hot to warm will cut your energy use by 50 percent per load and save you up to $63 a year, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. |
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Tip 34:
Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
Compact fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer, according to Energy Star. They're more expensive than traditional light bulbs, but it only takes about three months to make up for the higher sticker price in energy savings. For the most impact, replace the bulbs in the fixtures you use most, such as the kitchen, bathroom, dining and family room lights. |
$ Factor: You will save $85 over the life of the bulb for each 60-watt light bulb you replace with a 15-watt compact fluorescent, according to Energy Star. You'll also save 543 kilowatt hours of electricity and reduce your CO2 emissions by 833 pounds. |
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Tip 35:
Buy a power strip.
Did you know that your appliances
use electricity even when they are
turned off? It's called a phantom
load, or vampire power. As much
as 75 percent of the electricity
used to power home electronics and
small appliances is used while they're
turned off, according to the U.S.
Department of Energy. The Ohio Consumers
Council estimates that it costs
consumers $40 to $100 a year. |
$ Factor:
The simple
solution is to
unplug small appliances
and electronics when
you aren't using them.
Or plug them into a
power strip and turn
the power strip off
when you aren't using
those items. Power strips
cost $10 to $20 each
and can save you up
to $100 a year, depending
on how many electronics
you have. Simply unplugging
one television, computer
monitor and fax machine
when you aren't using
it will save you about
$6 a month. |
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Energy: Quick fix
