Energy Saving Tips

Savings by room

Attic:

Proper attic ventilation is necessary for both the heating
and cooling efficiency of your home. Consider installing
an attic fan to lower the attic temperature.
Close foundation/crawl space vents in the winter and
open them in the summer.
Visually inspect your duct system in the crawl space or
attic of your home to see if air is escaping. Repair air
leaks with quality UL metal tape or mastic sealant.

Bathroom:

Take shorter showers and install water-saving shower heads.
Turn off faucets tightly and fix leaky faucets promptly.
A leak of one drop per second wastes more than 250
gallons of water a month, and the energy used to heat it.

Den:

Keep your fireplace damper closed when there's no fire
in the fireplace. If you have glass fireplace doors, keep
them closed as well.
Turn off television sets, stereos and other electric
appliances whenever youâ€™re not using them.

Kitchen:

Use stove exhaust fans that vent to the outdoors as
little as possible during the winter to limit sending
heated air outdoors.
Keep your refrigerator and freezer stocked.
Both operate at peak efficiency when they are full.
Run your garbage disposal with cold water.
Cook in oven-safe glass or ceramic pans when you can.
They allow you to set your oven temperature 25 degrees
lower than the recipe calls for.
Keep external refrigerator and freezer coils free from
dust and lint. A clean refrigerator coil doesnâ€™t have
to work as hard.

Laundry room:

Use warm or cold water settings on the washing machine.
Limit hot water use to heavily soiled clothes. Each load
of laundry washed in cold water saves enough energy
to power a television for up to 34 hours.
Wash and dry full loads of laundry. It costs an average
of $.18 to wash a load of laundry. For a family of four,
this cost could add up to nearly $45.50 a month.
Keep lint filters and vent hoses clean.

Living room:

Move furniture away from heating and cooling registers
or radiators. Blocking or restricting airflow makes heating
and air conditioning systems work harder.
Choose light-colored, translucent lampshades. Many
lampshades, while decorative, can actually reduce light
or send it somewhere you donâ€™t need it.

Have questions about saving energy? E-mail us at energyexpert@myrec.coop.