1.  BREATHE EASIER
Help your furnace or central air conditioner breathe easier – check the filter at least once a month and replace it when it’s dirty.  At a minimum, change your filter every three months.  A dirty filter can increase energy costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.

A programmable thermostat can save you money on heating and cooling.  But even if you don’t want to install one right now, you can still cut your heating and cooling bills with your current thermostat.  Dial down your heat to 68 degrees, lower at night or when you’re away.  Save 3% on your gas bill for each degree lower that you set your heat over an 8 hour period. And when your air conditioner is running, you’ll use 4% less electricity for every degree that you raise your thermostat. 

2.  BREATHE EASIER
Did you know that 90% of the energy used to wash clothes goes towards heating water?  A laundry detergent designed for cold water washing usually works just as well.  So switch to cold water and save $30 - $40 in energy costs a year. 

Always running full loads in your washing machine can save 3,400 gallons of water a year.

3.  RETIRE YOUR REFRIGERATOR
An old fridge (pre-2001)  is one of the biggest energy hogs in your home unless you have an electric furnace or whole house air conditioning.

If you have an older refrigerator and replace it with a new one that’s Energy Star™ certified, you’ll notice the difference in your utility bills – because the new fridge will use about 40% less electricity.

Find out how much that old refrigerator is costing you by clicking here.

4.  A BRIGHT IDEA
Take another look at Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs) – they’ve gotten better and cheaper recently, and they’re available just about everywhere light bulbs are sold.  Newer models can provide the same warm light as old incandescent bulbs.  CFLs last years longer than old-fashioned bulbs, an added bonus if you have hard-to-reach light fixtures.  Switch from old-style bulbs to CFLs and you’ll cut your electricity bill for lighting by around 75%.

If every American home replaced their 5 most frequently used light bulbs with CFLs, we would save close to $8 billion a year in energy costs… and we’d prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars!

5.  THE BIG TURN-OFF
The easiest way to save energy and save money?  It takes only a fraction of a second:  turn off the lights when you leave a room.  And turn off your TV and computer when you’re not using them.

Plug all of your electronic equipment – such as speakers, printer, and modem— into a power strip.  That way, after you shut down your computer, one flick of the switch on the power strip will turn off everything. 

6.  USE OF YOUR (SHOWER) HEAD
Replacing old shower heads with new low-flow models can cut energy and water use by 25% or more.

Faucet aerators and toilet tank volume-reducing bladders will also help conserve water. Fix your leaky faucets – a faucet that drips 3 times in 5 seconds wastes 13 gallons per day and 4,927 gallons per year!

For an investment of $10 or $20 per shower head, this simple step can save up to $145 a year, according to the US government.

7.  FAST & THRIFTY: YOUR MICROWAVE
A microwave oven cooks 75% faster than a conventional oven and uses 80% less power.   You can also save energy with a toaster oven or a slow cooker – they’re smaller than a full-size oven and require less power to heat.

Sometimes, only a full-size oven will do.  But you can still save energy:  keep your oven clean so it reflects heat more efficiently.  And don’t pre-heat your oven unless the recipe insists on it.

8.  THE ENERGY TRAP
The U.S. Department of Energy & the Environmental Protection Agency figure you’ll save around $34 a year in energy if you clean the lint trap in your clothes dryer before each and every load.

For the ultimate savings:  use solar power!  A backyard clothesline uses no electricity, no gas, and will help your clothing to last longer.  

9.  SCRAPE & SAVE
Are you still rinsing dishes before you put them in the dishwasher?  If so, you’re wasting time and hot water.  Dishwasher manufacturers recommend scraping leftover food from plates and bowls, not rinsing them.  One study found this simple step saves 20 gallons of heated water a day.

If you have an energy-saving cycle on your dishwasher, give it a try!  Your dishes will air-dry and you’ll save electricity that would otherwise go to heating up electric coils inside the machine. 

10.  GET PROFESSIONAL HELP
Our trained Energy Audit specialist will check out your home with advanced equipment that can spot leaky doors and windows and pinpoint other ways to save on your utility bills.  An Energy Star™ Get Energy Smarter Audit from Conservation Consultants can give you the answers.  And the cost is surprisingly low.

Click here for more information about Energy Star™ Get Energy Smarter Audits or call Conservation Consultants to schedule one: 1 (877) 376-2783.