HOW TO REDUCE YOUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION
- Add insulation, if needed. Insulation is the most cost-effective energy savings available. Cellulose insulation, made from shredded plant fiber such as newspaper, is sound, bug and fire resistant, if treated with borate.
- Install an energy-efficient electric water heater.
- Wrap poorly insulated water heaters in an insulating blanket.
- Seal the air leaks. Caulk around windows, doors, under and inside cabinets, and around pipes and wiring where gaps exist. If a bug can get through it, so can air.
- Check ductwork and seal any separations in ducts. Use mastic tape or mastic paste. Do not use duct tape or metal tape.
- Check return air filters monthly. Once dirty, replace them. We recommend a filter with a MERV rating of 8. (MERV = minimum efficiency rating value)
- Use space heaters in moderation and don't position one too close to a thermostat. This could actually trick your thermostat and allow other rooms of the house to get too cool which later must play catch-up to become comfortable, causing the heating unit to run more.
- Keep debris away from outdoor units, and keep bushes and shrubs at least 3 feet away.
- Ventilate attics. Use ridge vents or wind turbines. Remember, don't cover attic ventilation in the winter. It is needed to remove moisture from the attic that would otherwise damage your home.
- Use window shades to reduce solar heat gain in the summer.
- Turn computers off. Leaving them on 24/7 wastes electricity and adds heat to your home.
- Use ceiling fans or stand-alone fans to achieve cooling instead of adjusting down the thermostat. The fans cool body temperatures through evaporation and are therefore of no benefit to empty rooms.
- While at home, choose the lowest comfortable thermostat setting in the winter months and the highest comfortable setting in the Summer months. DOE (Department of Energy) recommends 68 degrees in the Winter and 78 degrees in the Summer. If you are away from the home for an extended amount of time, you may choose to set the thermostat lower or higher depending on the season. For homes using heat pumps, be sure when heating the home to raise the thermostat temperature in small increments to reduce the use of auxiliary heat strips.
- If vacating your home for more than three days, turn off the water heater breaker. This will not hurt your water heater and save the cost of heating water while you are gone.
