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The 10 best tips for reducing your electric consumption
The tips below eliminate energy waste without limiting your use of lighting and appliances. The list is ordered in decreasing importance of energy usage, i.e., the first items give the most energy savings. Try several of the suggestions below and then see the difference in your billing or take a reading every month directly from your meter, if it is accessible.
1. Change the most frequently used light bulbs in your home to compact florescent bulbs that use 75% less energy than normal incandescent light bulbs. Compact florescent bulbs may seem expensive when you buy them, but they outlast 10 standard bulbs. In the long run, you get a double economic bonus: first, they are cheaper than 10 standard bulbs and, secondly, they use far less electricity. Often these bulbs will pay for themselves in the first year through savings in electricity. Keep in mind that compact bulbs require several minutes to reach maximum illumination, so don't be fooled when first switching them on.
2. For air conditioning, here are the important conservation tips: • Set the temperature of your air conditioning as high as possible while maintaining comfort. By setting it at 78°F/25°C or higher, you can save between 10 and 20 percent on energy costs. • When leaving the house or apartment for more than an hour, set the air-conditioning temperature to 85°F/29°C or above or, even better, turn it off. Don't believe the false myth that it takes more energy to cool the space again, than just leaving the air conditioning on; turn it off. You'll save energy and the environment. • Avoid placing devices that generate heat, such as televisions and lamps, near the air conditioning thermostat. The heat will make the thermostat think it is warmer in the room than it is and thus keep the air conditioning running. • Avoid setting the thermostat temperature lower than normal when turning on the air conditioning; this will not cool your home faster, but instead waste energy by overshooting the normal temperature setting. • Set the fan speed on high except in very humid conditions. When it is humid, set the fan speed to low for better cooling. • Turn on air conditioning only in rooms occupied, and close the door to keep them cool. • Consider installing ceiling fans to circulate cooled air more effectively, their energy consumption is much less than that of air conditioning. • For exterior air conditioning units, shade them from direct sunlight by planting shrubs or trees around them (but avoid blocking the air flow). This bit of gardening can save as much as 10 percent on the energy consumption and your cooling bill. • Dress for summer, wear light summer clothing (pure cotton is coolest for the price).
3. Develop the good habit of turning off lights in rooms and hallways that are not occupied (very important for children to practice).
4. Run and maintain your refrigerator and freezer at maximum efficiency: • For food safety maintain your refrigerator temperature between 36° and 40°F/2-5°C and your freezer between 0° and 5°F/ -18 and -15°C; colder settings than this can waste up to 25 percent more energy. • When defrosting food, plan ahead and put the frozen food in the refrigerator compartment where it will help keep the fridge cold while it thaws and thus save on electricity. • Gently brush or vacuum the dust that can accumulate on the condenser coils located on the back of the refrigerator or freezer; this can sometimes save as much as 30 percent in electric consumption. • Clean and check the door seals to make sure they are tight. If there are cracks or gaps in the seal, replace it. An easy test for the seal is to close the door on a standard sheet of paper. The paper should not slide around or fall out, and you should feel some resistance when you pull it out. If not, replace the seal immediately; you're wasting at lot of money and energy. • Leave enough space between your refrigerator and the walls or cabinets so air can circulate around the condenser coils at the back. Trapped heat from the coils and motor will needlessly increase your electric consumption. • Keep the refrigerator full (but not packed, which prevents air from circulating). This allows the temperature to recover quickly after the door is opened and closed. • If your refrigerator is more than 5 years old, replace it with a new energy efficient model, showing the EnergyStar label or rated 'A' in energy efficiency. Buying a new high-efficiency model will pay for itself in the long term and carries a big benefit for the environment. • Get rid of those old refrigerators or freezers out in the garage or basement that you might be using as second appliances. These are energy hogs that waste energy and money.
5. Turn off all appliances or equipment that are not in use or when you leave the room. This includes computers, televisions, stereos, and radios. For instance, don't leave the stereo playing when you're in the shower or leave your computer running when you go to eat or watch a TV program.
6. For computers, here are the best conservation tips: • If you're not using it for 15 minutes or longer, turn off the monitor or switch it to Standby mode. Most 17" monitors use as much energy as three standard light bulbs. (Standby on PC's is available from the "Start" button, then choose" Shutdown;" in the Shutdown dialog box click the down arrow to show the menu where you can select" Standby.") • Avoid leaving your computer on (or in Standby) over night either at home or in the office; turn it off.
7. Always run clothes washers fully loaded. Because nearly 90 percent of the electricity is used to heat the water, set the temperature to the lowest value or to cold wash. Also, some washers have an 'Economy' settings to reduce the runtime. Presoak or use the soak cycle for heavily soiled clothes, like gardening coveralls and soccer uniforms. Use the correct amount of detergent (read the instructions on the box), too much suds makes the washer work harder and, therefore, it uses more electricity.
8. For clothes dryers, here are the best conservation tips: • Always run them full but not packed. • Always clean the lint filter before each use, this can save you up to 30 percent in energy use and cost. • If the dryer has an automatic dry cycle setting, use this instead of setting the timer; the machine will stop when the clothes are dry, not when the timer runs out.
9. For dish washers here are the best conservation tips: • Always run them fully loaded. Like clothes washers, up to 80 percent of the electric energy these appliances use goes into heating the water. • For a few dishes simply wash and rinse them in a wash basin in the sink (avoid just running the water to wash and rinse dishes). • Avoid using the "rinse hold" setting on the dishwasher. • Choose short wash cycles for everything but the grimiest dishes. • Choose the air-dry setting instead of heat-drying the dishes; this can save from 15 to 50 percent in energy consumption. If there is no air-dry setting, simply turn off the dishwasher after the final rinse and open the door to allow the dishes to dry. • Avoid pre-rinsing dishes by running hot water in the sink, instead fill a basin with cold water and dip the dishes in it or let them soak awhile. • If possible, install your dishwasher away from your refrigerator; the heat and moisture produced by the dishwasher can dramatically increase the energy consumption of your refrigerator.
10. For cooking appliances, here is an important tip: Use a microwave oven to cook small portions, to heat water, or to defrost food. Microwave ovens use about 50 percent less cooking energy than other oven devices.
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