What You Can Do to Save Energy – Tips:

No Cost Energy Saving Tips:

• The easiest way to save energy and money at home is to turn off lights and appliances when not in use.

• Every degree on your thermostat can reduce heating or cooling energy use by more than two percent. If you’re setting the thermostat at 76 degrees, try 78 during the cooling season. In the winter months, go down three to five degrees, health permitting. If you’re using a 70 degree setting, try 67 degrees.

• Use the cold water setting on your clothes washer for most loads .

• Fix leaky faucets. One drop of hot water per second can waste 2,500 gallons per year.

• Get rid of your spare refrigerator or freezer and you’ll save up to $292 a year off your electric bill.

Low Cost Energy Saving Tips (Less than $100):

• If every California household replaced 5 traditional bulbs with CFLs, it would reduce as much CO2 as taking up to 400,000 cars off the road!

• Compact fluorescent lamps (also known as CFLs), those twisted but brilliant bulbs, use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescents and last up to ten times as long. For the most natural light, look on the side of the box for the color-rendering index (CRI). Select bulbs with a CRI above 80% percent.

• Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators to reduce energy and water use and save from 5 to 10% on water heating costs.

• Change your filters. A dirty filter can cost you in energy and comfort. Replace heating and air conditioning filters according to the manufacturer’s recommendations .

• When your heating and air conditioning system isn’t working at peak performance, your system has to work harder to keep you comfortable. An annual tune-up will help extend the life of your system and keep it running efficiently and safely.

Higher-Cost Energy Saving Tips (More than $100):

• Be sure to be an “Energy Star” in your own home. Always look for the Energy Star label when purchasing new appliances. Everything from computers and ceiling fans to major appliances, such as refrigerators, clothes washers and dishwashers.

• Exchange your old refrigerator for an Energy Star-qualified model. If your refrigerator is more than 10 years old, you can reduce your energy use by up to 8-10 percent when you replace it with an ENERGY STAR®-labeled energy-efficient model.

• Upgrade to qualifying high efficiency water heaters and ENERGY STAR® qualified dishwashers and clothes washers

• Retire your old central air conditioner. Replace your 10 year old or older air conditioner with an ENERGY STAR®-labeled energy-efficient air conditioner and reduce your monthly energy usage by up to 5 percent.

• Upgrading attic insulation from three inches to 12 inches can cut your heating bills by up to 20 percent - and air conditioning bills by up to 10 percent.

• Cool off with a whole house fan. A whole house fan is a simple and inexpensive method of cooling a house. The fan draws cool outdoor air inside through open windows and exhausts hot room air through the attic to the outside. The result is excellent ventilation, lower indoor temperatures, and lower energy bills.

• By replacing a central forced air-furnace that is 15+ years old with a new energy-efficient model, you could save up to 20% on heating costs. When buying a new gas furnace, choose an energy-efficient model.