Summer-

During peak cooling hours, solar heat coming through unshaded windows can account for 1/3 of the load on your air conditioner.  Close the drapes on the sunny side of your home while you are there or close all window coverings if you are leaving for the day.

Turn air conditioners to the highest comfortable setting.  We recommend 76-78 degrees when you are home and 80 degrees while you are away.  Adjusting your thermostat up a few degrees will have a significant impact on your cooling bill.

Clean or replace your air filter monthly, or as needed.

Turn off unnecessary lights and use energy-efficient bulbs that give off less heat.  Energy efficient light bulbs can use up to 75% less energy than standard bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.

Humidity is a significant load on an air conditioner.  While it’s tempting to give your air conditioner a rest on cool nights, watch the weather forecast before you decide to open the windows at night.  If tomorrow is going to be hot again, keep the a/c on and your home closed through the night to keep the humidity out of the house.

Shut all vents downstairs except kitchen.  Do not block return vents.  Keep closet doors closed and bedroom doors open.

Change your filter monthly or as needed.

Lower your thermostat temperature to the lowest temperature that is comfortable to your family.  You may save as much as 3% on your energy bill for each degree you lower your thermostat.  Reduce your thermostat at night and/or when you are away.  A 10 degree setback for 8 hours each day could save you up to 9%.

Keep all windows and doors located near your thermostat closed tightly.

Keep heat sources, such as lamps, away from thermostat.

Keep curtains and blinds open on sunny days but closed on cloudy days and nights.

Keep all vents free from obstructions, such as curtains, furniture or rugs.  Clean these vents regularly with a vacuum or broom.

Shut all vents in the bedrooms and bathrooms ¾ of the way closed.  Open all other vents completely.  Do not block return vent.  Keep closet doors closed. Keep bedroom doors open.

If you have older windows, consider sealing with plastic.

Don’t let the water run continuously when you wash dishes, shave, brush teeth, etc.

Take short showers instead of baths.  You can use 15-25 gallons of hot water for a bath.  Showers use 3-5 gallons per minute.

Wash your clothes in cold water.  Laundry detergents, not the water temperature, clean your clothes.

Clean the lint filter after every dryer load.  Clothes will dry faster.

Wash full laundry loads.  You will save water, detergent and energy.

Don’t add wet items to a near dry load.

Don’t over dry clothes.  Remove clothes before they start to wrinkle. This can eliminate ironing and save energy.

Turn off the monitor when it is not in use.  The monitor consumes over half the energy used by a computer.  Flat panel models use less energy than standard models.

Printing can be the most energy intensive step.  Only print the pages you must have.  Edit documents on screen and use print preview to reduce the number of drafts that you actually print.

Use email instead of fax machines or copiers whenever possible.

In your computers power options, set your pc to go into standby mode after 15 minutes of nonuse and set it to hibernate or sleep after 45 minutes of nonuse.  These energy saving modes cut your pc’s electric usage down to just a few watts.

Screen savers, while effective in preserving the monitor, use the same amount of energy as when you are using the computer.

Make sure monitors, printers and other computer accessories are on a surge protector.  When this equipment is not in use for an extended period, turn off surge protector.

Unplug equipment that drains energy when not in use: coffee makers, cell phone chargers, radios, etc.

Turn lights off when not in use.

Use small night lights instead of lamps where needed.

Cook with the right sized pot on the right sized burner. Energy is lost up the sides of a small pot on a large burner and adds unnecessary heat to the kitchen.

Open the oven door as little as possible.  Your oven loses 25-50 degrees each time you open the door, making it work harder to maintain its temperature.

Cover pans to reduce cooking time and amount of heat needed.

If you cook with electricity, turn the stovetop burners and oven off, several minutes before the allotted cooking time.

Use smaller appliances such as crock pots, toaster ovens and electric skillets whenever possible to save energy

Try to do most of your cooking on the stove top or microwave instead of the oven.

Cook with aluminum or copper bottom pans for even heat conduction.  Pans with straight sides and flat bottoms reduce cooking time and heat loss.

Bake with ceramic or glass dishes.

Preheat ovens only when necessary.  Unless your baking breads or pastries, you may not need to preheat at all.

Keep burners and reflectors clean- they will reflect the heat better and save energy.

Do not let the water run continuously when washing dishes, shaving, brushing teeth, etc.

Use the short cycle on your washing machine.

Only do full loads in your washer and dishwasher.

Take short showers instead of baths.

Remember, your sewage bill is calculated by your water usage.  The higher your water is, the higher your sewage will be.

Report any leaks to management.