Saving Energy

• Energy saving tips
• Energy efficient ceiling fans
• Downloadable documents

The Furnace
Heating is by far one of our biggest energy expenses. It cost the average low-income family around $482 a year. So, to save on heating costs:

• Turn Your thermostat down five degrees
  Each degree you lower it saves about 2%. That’s about $48 on a $482 heating bill if you try it all day. Wear a sweater if you’re chilly. And install an automatic thermostat. It will do the work for you.
• Have a professional tune up and inspect your furnace once a year
  This can save you up to 10% on your heating costs.
• If you have forced air heat, clean the filter each month
• If you have hot water or steam heat, check water levels
  A furnace dealer can tell you how to add more water. Ask the dealer for more tips to make your system work better.
• Clean the area around your furnace
  That lessens the chance of fire and improves airflow.
• Make sure heat can get into the room
  Keep furniture and drapes from blocking radiators, heating registers and return vents.

Other Winter Tips:

• Use drapes
  Where windows face the sun, keep drapes open in the day, but close all drapes at night. Keeping shades drawn and drapes closed will make the room more comfortable without any increase in energy use. By reducing the chill from cold windows and reducing drafts, you’ll reduce heating costs.
• Repair windows
  Even a crack drives fuel bills up. Got a loose window? Install weather stripping. It helps keep cold air out of the house.
• Install storm windows
  and remember to put them down once winter begins. They improve the comfort of the room and pay for themselves by keeping cold air out.
• Close storm doors
  Seal air leaks by caulking and weather stripping doors. That keeps heat in ¾ and heating costs down.
• Install a programmable thermostat
  Use it to automatically control the heat when you are not home and overnight while you are sleeping. Setting it to turn down the heat when you’re under the covers can cut heating costs.

Curbing Fireplace Costs:

• Buy “seasoned” wood
  That means wood that has been allowed to dry out. Freshly cut wood has too much moisture to burn well.
• Using the dampers
  Keep the damper closed when you aren’t using the fireplace.
• Reducing heat loss
  Open dampers in the bottom of the firebox, slightly open the nearest window, close doors leading to the room with your fireplace, and lower the thermostat to between 50 and 55 degrees when the fire is lit.
• Haven’t used your fireplace in over a year?
  Call a chimney sweep for an inspection and make all repairs before using it again.

Summer energy Saving Tips

Keeping cool without air conditioning

• Use fans. At night they help rid the house of the heat of the daytime sun.
• Use ceiling fans. They make people feel four degress cooler than the actual temperature.
• Close shades and windows. During the day, that is. At night, open windows opposite one another for cross-ventilation.
• Got a waterbed? It may use as much electricity as your refrigerator. To save more than 30% of that cost, make the bed routinely and cover it with a comforter.
• More about energy efficient ceiling fans

Keeping cool with air conditioning

• Set the thermostat at 78 F or higher if you use a ceiling fan. You save 3 to 5% on your airconditioning cost for each degree you raise the thermostat.
• Clean the filters. Check furnace and air filters monthly or as recommended by the manufacturer. Clean or replace them as needed.
• Use the "AUTO FAN" setting.
• Getting an air conditioner? Buy Energy Star. It can save you up to 10% over one that dosn't have the label. However, have an air conditioning technician or energy auditor determione the right size for the space.
• Install a programmable thermostat. Make sure it is programmed to turn down the heating or cooling automatically when you are not home and when you are sleeping.

Cooking

• Avoid the stove or the oven
  Use toaster ovens, crockpots, microwaves when you are cooking small to medium-sized meals. They use less energy than your stove or oven.
• Use the smallest pans possible
  It takes less energy to heat them.
• Use lids
  They help the food cook more quickly by keeping the steam in.
• Turn off electric burners and ovens just before cooking is complete
  The food will continue to cook.
• Keep preheating time to a minimum
• Don't peek!
  You lose heat every time you open the door or lift the lid.
• Keep racks clear
  Foil on oven shelves blocks heat and costs money.

Refrigerators
An old refrigerator costs the average family aboug $140 a year (that's almost $12 per month). To cut those costs:

• Check refrigerator temperatures
  You're losing money if they're lower than 37-40°F for fresh food and 0-5°F in your freezer. To check? Put one thermometer in a glass of water in the center of the refrigerator, and another between packages in the freezer. Read them after 24 hours. And to keep refrigerators cold, close doors quickly.
• Defrost manual-defrost refrigerators
  Frost makes these models less efficient - and helps spoil foods.
• Cover and wrap food
  Uncovered foods and liquids release moisture and drive up electricity costs.
• Got a second older refrigerator? Unplug it!
  Remember: it can cost about $140 a year to keep it plugged in. And always remove the door when you unplug the refrigerator so that children cannot accidentally be caught inside.
• Buying a new refrigerator? Get an Energy Star model
  Replacing a refrigerator bought in 1990 with a new Energy Star model would save enough energy to light the average household for over three months.

How can kids help?

• Turn off the lights
  When you leave your room - and the bathroom.
• Turn off the radio, TV, computer, and games when you stop using them.
• Take shorter showers
  They use about half as much water as a full bathtub.
• Check for problems Mom and Dad haven't noticed
  Like dripping faucets - it takes energy to heat the water.
• Share rides with friends to after-school activities
• Close the fridge!
  Decide what you want from the refrigerator BEFORE opening the door - then close it quickly.
• Try a sweater
  Cold in the house? Don't turn up the thermostat.
• Recycle!
  Sell toys or old clothes ar a yard sale or donate them to a charity. Then someone else can use them.

Lights

• Turn off lights when you are not using them
  One 100 watt bulb left on all night costs about $25 over 12 months.
• Switch from incandescent to compact flourescent lamps (CFLs)
  Why? CFLs last ten times longer than incandescent bulbs, and use about a fourth as much electricty. After all, 90% of the energy used by an incandescent bulb is wasted as heat - only 10% is converted to light. The EPA estimates that a typical household would save $80 each year by switching to CFLs throughout the house.
• Try compact flourescent bulbs in hard-to-reach fixtures
  You won't have to replace them for about 5 years!
• Replace halogen torchieres
  Use Energy Star labeled compact flourescent torchieres. They're cheaper to operate and safer to use.
• Keep bulbs clean
  Dust can cut light output by a much as 25%.
• Check sales
  Especially during National Energy Month in October - stores often have sale prices for flourescent bulbs.

Water Bills
The water heater is the second biggest energy user in the home. You're charged for the water - and for heating it. An average family can spend about $290 a year just taking showers, and many families spend more.

• Install a low-flow showerhead
  They use half the water that regular ones use - and can save $2 a month per family member.
• Turn the water heater thermostat down to 120°F
  That saves energy and prevents scalding.
• Take short showers
  They use about half as much water as a full bathtub.
• Repair leaky water faucets
  One drop a second can waste as much as 25 gallons a week!
• Buying a new water heater?
  Get one that is no larger than required for your household needs.

Washing the dishes
If you use a dishwasher:

• Wash only full loads
  It costs exactly the same to wash one dish as a whole load.
• Air dry dishes
  If the dishwasher has an air-dry feature, use it.
• Hand-rinse dishes in cold water
  and only if you plan to wait a day or more before washing. Most dishwashers today do a grat job of washing dishes without pre-rinsing. So save energy, water and elbow grease along with your time.
• Fill dishwasher with detergent right before running
  Dry detergent make cake, while liquid detergent can leak.
• Fill the dishwasher according to the manufacturer's instructions
  This will allow the flow of water to properly clean the dishes.

If you wash by hand:

• Rinse dishes in groups rather than one at a time.
• Don't leave the water running.
• Don't wash a few dishes - wait unit you have a sinkful.

Laundry

• Wash laundry in warm or cold water instead of hot
  Hot water needs to be used only for oily stains and very dirty loads.
• Lower the thermostat from the recommended 140°F to 120°F
  Each 10 degree reduction in water temperature will generally save you 3 to 5 % on your water heating costs.
• Wash and dry only full loads
  The machine uses about the same amount of water whether you wash a full load or just one item.
• Clean the dryer lint filter after every load
  Clogged filters drive up drying costs.
• Clean your outside dryer exaust vent
  It draws unwanted heat away from the house.
• Dry several loads of laundry in a row
  Using the heat already there saves money.
• Dry clothes outside in good weather
  Sunlight is free!

Browse through these pages and documents you can download about saving energy. (You may need to download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

• Energy Saving Window Treatment
• Installing an Energy Efficient Roller Shade
• Insulation Check-Up
• Modifying Draperies to Conserve Energy
• Replace Your Older Refrigerator to Reduce Energy Costs
• Sealing Air Leaks in Your Home
• Weather-Stripping Windows and Doors
• How to Choose an Electric Supply Company in the NYSEG Area