Information on saving money on your electricity bill. Save money with expert advice and real world strategies that keep your money where it belongs, in your pocket.
- Turn off lights in any room not being used.
- Shut off dishwasher for dry cycle. Let your dishes “air dry”.
- Use a window fan instead of air conditioner whenever possible.
- Turn off your TV, radio, record player when not in use.
- Use large bulb instead of several small ones where bright light is needed.
- Use lamp shades with white liner. This reflects more light.
- Replace incandescent with fluorescent bulbs wherever possible.
- Teach all family members to turn off lights when leaving a room.
- Don’t use dishwasher or laundry equipment until you have a full load.
- Use outdoor lights only where they are needed.
- Make sure your refrigerator and freezer door seals are airtight.
- Save electricity by using old-fashioned clothesline for clothes drying.
- Keep air conditioning condenser shaded from sun or on north side of house.
- Turn off air conditioning when no one is home.
- Vacuum or dust off coils of refrigerator and freezer regularly.
- “Instant-on” TV sets use energy even when set is not turned on.
- A full freezer uses less energy. Use bags of ice cubes to keep filled.
- Never overload clothes dryer and always clean lint filter after use.
- Freezers and refrigerators that defrost automatically use more energy.
- Let hot foods cool before placing them in the refrigerator.
- Remove clothes that require ironing from the dryer while they are damp.
- When replacing switches, consider installing solid state dimmer switches.
- Use low wattage night-light bulbs that now come in 4 and 7-watt sizes.
- Place your refrigerator in the coolest part of the kitchen.
- Don’t “over dry” clothing. It wastes energy and may damage synthetics.
- When going away for extended periods, set refrigerator at lowest setting.
- Turn off electric water heater when going away for vacations or weekends.
- Turn 3-way lamps down to lowest level for TV watching.
- Choose light, reflective colors for room ceilings and walls.
- Never connect any large appliance to an extension cord.
- Decide exactly what you want before you open the refrigerator door.
- Defrost refrigerator regularly – when about 1/4 inch of ice has formed.
- “Long-life” light bulbs use more energy than standard life bulbs.
- Turn off your iron when not using it.
- Put light switches where they are easy to turn on and off.
- Keep appliances clean and in good working order. They’ll use less energy.
- When using air conditioning, set thermostat at 78 degrees or higher.
- Keep bulbs and lighting fixtures clean. Dust lowers light levels.
- Eliminate unnecessary outdoor decorative lighting.
- Plant shrubs and trees so that they will shade house during summer months.
- Use higher wattage bulbs only for reading and close work.
- Insulating your attic will save on operating air conditioning (also heating).
- If you have a second refrigerator, ask yourself if you really need it.
- Keep the outside exhaust of your clothes dryer clean.
- Buy appliances on the basis of cost plus operating costs, not price alone.
- Buy clothing made of fabrics that require little or no ironing.
- Use hand tools in your workshop instead of power tools.
- When using air conditioning, keep windows closed & close off unused rooms.
- Use reflector floodlights in directional lamps instead of standard bulbs.
- Buy only “no iron” sheets and pillow cases to save on ironing energy.
- Use adapters to convert table lamps into low-energy fluorescent lamps.
- Microwave ovens reduce cooking time by 15% to 20% and save energy.
- When shopping for new appliances, ask about energy-efficient models.
- Don’t use several light bulbs where one will do the job.
- Limit the use of appliances that use over 1,000 watts.
- Check all energy bills closely. Errors can be costly.