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Top Ways To Save Energy

Saving energy can not only be good for the environment, but also your wallet. A lot of readers have sent in great tips so far. If you have more to add send it and I'll try to update the list periodically.

Water

1. Install low flow shower faucets. They can save about 20-40% percent of water versus a traditional shower head.

2. Wash dishes only when the dishwasher is full.

3. For only a few dishes wash them by hand, but for larger amounts of dishes a dishwasher can use less water.

4. Wash clothes only when the washing machine is full.

5. Wash clothes in cold water every time when possible.

6. Don't over load the washer or dryer.

7. When shaving or brushing your teeth don't keep the water running.

8. Try not to take showers longer than 8-10 minutes.

9. Replace sink aerators every so often. Use a wrench and they twist right off and then just screw on a new one. They're about $1-2 usually each, but they can save thousands of gallons of water over a year.

10. Many newer toilets are just as powerful and use a lot less water per flush. In some instances 4-5 gallons per flush.

11. Most of the wasted water from a home comes from the toilet. Especially if you have an older style toilet. Fill up a plastic soda bottle you get from a vending machine with some rocks or water and put it in the toilet tank with the cap on. This saves you a bottle full of water on each flush.

12. Get drips and leaks fixed. Slow dripping water can add up. 30 drips a minute can add up to over 1000 gallons over a year. A running toilet can waste 2-4 gallons a minute which can add up to thousands of gallons.

13. Water grass and flowers in the morning. During the day most water is lost to evaporation and doesn't get to sink in deep enough.

14. Use a barrel under a rain gutter at your home to gather rain. Use the water for watering the lawn or flowers.

Electricity and Energy

1. Turn off televisions and lights when leaving a room for longer than 5-10 minutes.

2. Dry clothes only when the dryer is full.

3. Dry clothes right after another load is finished, so the dryer is already hot for the new load.

4. Remove the lint from the dryer after every use. Vacuum up extra lint occasionally as well. This keeps they dryer working at its best level, but is also very important in protecting against fires.

5. In warmer weather use a clothes line to air dry your clothes.

6. Lower your water heater to 120 degrees. Turn it off completely, if you'll be gone for long periods.

7. Go online and take a home energy audit for suggestions on how to save more and find out how much more energy and money you could save.

8. Check with your local utility company to find out about their energy saving programs. Some offer rebates on energy efficient appliances. Some offer low income programs for fuel and energy assistance.

9. Set the thermostat a degree or two higher in summer and lower in winter.

10. Install an automatic thermostat so it can be programmed to go lower at times people are sleeping or no one is home.

11. Don't leave your garage door open in the winter if it's attached to your home.

12. If you have a fireplace make sure its checked and cleaned regularly. Also make sure your fireplace damper closes securely.

13. Install glass doors on the fireplace, if it doesn't already have them, and close them when fireplace is not in use

14. Keep furniture and other items away from vents and electric baseboards that may obstruct airflow.

15. Look for sales on items like heaters and furnaces in the spring and summer and AC units at the end of summer.

16. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use an average of 60-80% less energy and last 4-10 times longer than traditional bulbs. They create less heat so they're cooler to the touch and safer. They do contain mercury so if they break follow proper clean up instructions. Some places, like IKEA, have special disposal boxes for broken bulbs.

17. Using halogen flood lights gives off 50 percent more light for the same energy as a regular bulb.

18. Use lighter colored paint for indoor rooms. Light reflects better making the room appear brighter.

19. Keep dust off light bulbs. Even a smaller layer of dust can make rooms dimmer.

20. For outdoor lights consider motion sensing lights that activate with movement. They're good for security and you don't have to worry about accidentally leaving them on all night.

21. Connect your pool filter and outdoor lights to timers.

22. If you own a Jacuzzi or hot tub when not in use to prevent heat from escaping.

23. If you own a water bed, consider putting some form of blanket or sheet below the mattress for insulation and keep a blanket on top of it to keep heat from escaping.

24. Use your microwave instead of a conventional stove or toaster oven when possible.

25. Connect electronics to a surge protector that can be shut off completely. Fax machines, printers, DVD players, VCRS, and other electronics can all be big drains on electricity in their standby modes.

26. Use ceiling fans in the summer to move the air around to make it feel cooler. Reverse the fans in the winter to redirect the hotter air that gathers by the ceiling downward.

27. Look for the Energy Star logo on products. The logo tells you how energy efficient a product is or isn't. A more expensive model, if more energy efficient, may make up the difference or even more in savings over the life of the product.

28. Many newer appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners and office equipment are more efficient than older models. It may be costing you a lot more to not upgrade then the price of the newer model in energy savings.

29. Vacuum the coils on the back of your refrigerator at least every 6 months.

30. Keep your refrigerator away from a heat source.

31. Don't leave the refrigerator door open when getting items and keep opening and closing it unnecessarily.

32. If you use an extra freezer or refrigerator try to determine if you could do without it. They usually use at least $100 or more of extra electricity per year.

33. Defrost the freezer If you have accumulated more than 1/4 inch of ice.

34. Wash and clean AC filters at least once a month. It will make your AC run more efficiently and also usually keep your rooms cooler.

35. Keep the blinds or shades down on hot days.

36. Keep central AC or regular AC units out of direct sunlight and shaded when possible.

37. Seal around AC units with foam or tape to keep the cool air in and hot air out.

38. Take down window AC units before winter and the colder weather comes.

39. If you have a central AC unit keep it covered with a tarp in the off season to prevent dust and leaves from getting in it.

40. Block off vents in rooms that don't need to be cooled and keep doors shut in the rooms you only want cooled.

41. Determine if your attic is properly insulated. Take a tape measure to measure its thickness.

42. Make sure your attic has proper vents or fans to remove excess heat in the summer time.

43. Install insulated pads on all electric outlets if they don't have them already.

44. If drafts come from under the doors install weather stripping or roll up a towel to stick at the base of the door.

45. Use solar power or other renewable energy if possible.

46. Power off computers over night or during weekends at work and at home if not being used.

47. When cooking, use the glass window and light to check on food. Opening the door releases heat every time.

48. During summer months use the microwave whenever possible to heat your food instead of a stove which can heat up your kitchen and home.

49. Newer stoves, with self cleaning features, have more insulation so are more energy efficient. When using the self cleaning feature, try and do so right after you've just cooked something since the oven is already heated.

50. When you use the oven trying cook more than one thing at the same time.

51. When cooking use lids to prevent heat from escaping.

52. Insulate your water heater and hot water pipes if possible.

53. Clean the filter of your furnace at least once a month and replace when necessary.

54. Use incense or blow out a candle and put it next to windows and doors to see if the smokes blows around instead of going straight up. This should help you determine if you need to better seal an area.

Reduce Waste

1. Use both sides of paper. Use scrap paper for less important things you want to print. If you have kids let them use the backs to draw on.

2. Share newspapers or magazines with friends and co-workers. Then recycle them.

3. Use re-usable bags when shopping and then throw them in your trunk for the next time so you don't forget them. Some stores even offer discounts if you bring your own bags.

4. Store food and other items in Tupperware or any other plastic reusable container instead of aluminum foil or plastic wrap.

5. Use kitchen towels for drying hands and small spills and re-usable rags for cleaning instead of paper towels and napkins.

6. Be creative and find new ways to use empty containers. For example, use a baby food container or empty egg carton for painting if you have children.

7. Buy groceries from local farms if possible. You support local business and it's better for the environment by reducing the transportation of the food to the grocery stores.

8. Don't over fertilize your lawn. Too much can be just as bad as not enough. Save leftover fertilize for next year or share with neighbors.

9. Borrow yard tools that you may rarely use like chain saws, tillers, cement mixers, etc.. You can also rent tools at Home Depot and some other do it yourself stores.

10. Measure walls and areas when you're going to paint so you don't buy too much. Save small amounts for future touch ups. Look for low emission paint which is less toxic and easier to breath.

11. Purchase a rechargeable battery set to use with remotes, kids toys, clocks, radios, cameras and many other electronics.

12. Recycle used printer cartridges. Some stores, like Staples, also offer a discount for recycling your ink. Some stores, like Walgreens, also refill ink cartridges at a fraction of the cost of buying a new cartridge.

13. If your old cell phone is in working condition sell it on Ebay or donate it. BestBuy and some other stores have drops offs for used cell phones and batteries. Verizon Wireless also collects them for battered women programs.

14. Create a compost heap for leaves, grass, and household food waste to use as natural fertilizer.

Automotive

1. Check out my Gas Saving Tips Section.

Great Energy Saving and Environmental Web Sites