Attic
1. Re-insulate up to 12 inches
2. Get a radiant barrier when you replace your roof
3. Get a solar attic fan (verify there is enough sunlight to be
worth it)
4. Do not caulk around your natural gas water heater
exhaust pipes or furnace exhaust pipes
5. Prevent heat loss as warm air travels through heat ducts
from your furnace by wrapping heat ducts with insulation.
attic Also, use duct foil tape where rectangular heat ducts join,
and waterbase acrylic latex caulk where round and
rectangular duct fittings meet
6. Seal cracks where pipes, electrical wires, vents and ducts
enter your home
7. Buy a thermal thermometer and get a reading of the hot
spots in your attic. Make sure those areas are insulated
8. Have an expert spray green insulation onto your attic
ceiling. It is a great product, but you don't want to harm
your roof's sheathing
9. If any insulation appears to be touching the electrical
conduits, clear it away. That and metal studs draw the
heat and ruin the effects of insulation.
10. If you're building a new home, consider putting the hvac
somewhere room temperature rather than the attic.
Overheating expends extra energy.
11. Replace any wet or compacted insulation immediately.
Make sure the leak is fixed.
12. Seal any unused floor hatches.
13. Seal the attic door.
14. Two layers of foam insulation with different seams is
better than one thick layer
15. Consider structural insulated panels, which can go as high
as R48
16. It's usually not a great idea to install insulation between
the rafters
17. Closed cell foam insulation is less risky than open cell
18. Your whole wall insulation rating will always be less than
the number on the insulation
19. sloped roofs usually include a soffit-to-ridge
ventilation channel
20. If your attic is sealed but has ventilation, you probably
don't need forced air registers
Bathroom
21. Install a low-flow aerator or flow restrictor on an existing
shower head, and you’ll use less water when it seems like
more! Both are inexpensive and easy to install—just
screw them in
22. Make sure the toilet handle doesn’t stick after flushing. It
wastes water and makes your water pump run longer
23. Open the back of your toilet and check the seal. Make
sure the chain isn't allowing water to get too high in the
tank
24. Take a shower instead of a bath. You’ll use less hot water
25. Turn off hot water when you don’t need it. Don’t let it
run when you wash or shave
26. If it seems like your toilet is running too long, fix it asap.
bathroom Re-seal the stopper that shuts off the flow of water to the
bowl
27. Buy a toilet tank to minimize water waste in the back of
the toilet
28. Put a book of matches in the medicine cabinet. Light one
as you leave the bathroom and turn off the exhaust fan.
Bedroom
29. Reverse ceiling fans when the heater is on to run
clockwise and circulate warm air
30. De-seasonalize your curtains. Light, summer colors let in
more sun and heat a room. Dark colors keep it cooler
31. In the summer, use plants to block the sunlight during
midday
32. In the summer, close the blinds of rooms not in use
33. In the winter open the blinds of rooms not in use
34. If you have blinds, leave them at about a 30 degree tilt
towards the sun, so it reflects into the room and creates
more natural light
35. Turn off the humidifier or dehumidifier when they’re not
needed
36. Use ceiling fans in rooms without them. Make sure they're
running when the AC or heat are on
37. Make sure ceiling fans run counterclockwise in the
summer when the AC is on to dispurse heat
38. Make sure vents, drapes, and other impements aren't
blocking your vents or the air circulation in the room
39. Keep inside doors open so air can circulate. Try not to
block any doorways or good air flow areas with furniture
Exterior
40. Get a leaky roof replaced
41. Get a mini solar pv system for your yard, shed, garage,
etc
42. Use solar to replace outdoor lights
43. Replace all of your halogen lights with CFL
44. If you don't have motion sensors, you can buy some and
use them to reduce your outdoor lighting usage
45. If you have motion sensors, make sure they aren't going
off by accident at night.
46. Replace your glass patio door with an insulated, sealed
double door
47. Use solar screens in the summer
48. About 2 percent of air escapes your home through
electrical outlets, especially on outside walls. Install
insulation made for electrical outlets. You can also use
safety outlet plugs to stop cold air from entering your
home
49. For outdoor use, consider high-pressure sodium bulbs,
which are more efficient and last longer than their
incandescent counterparts
50. Seal all of your exterior doors- garage, attic, front and
back
Flooring
51. Add a large rug to every room with bare floors
Garage/Utility
52. Check and make sure your hot water heater isn't running
too long after you've showered. It's a sign that it's not
working as efficiently as possible
53. Do more than one load at a time. Your dryer will already
be warm and will need less heat to dry your clothes
54. Do you have an older refrigerator in your garage? It's
probably putting out more energy than your kitchen
refrigerator. Is it worth it?
55. Don't overdry your clothes. It does nothing for them and
just wastes energy.
56. Don't overload either the washer or dryer. While it uses
less energy to do large loads less often, it causes the
machines to work harder and break sooner.
57. If you have a small load, remember to lower the water
level
58. Keep the lint trap clean
59. Keep your hot water hot by making sure pipes in
unheated areas are insulated
60. On sunny days, hang your clothes outdoors to dry unless
you live next to a smelting plant.
61. Once a year, drain the water heater tank completely.
Then turn the incoming water on and off, alternately, for
about 20 seconds. Some newer models are self-cleaning.
Check the manufacturer’s manual
62. Put an insulating blanket around your water heater. It
holds heat in
63. Save even more by setting your water heater to “on
vacation” (if your unit has this feature) when you’re away
from home more than two days
64. Set your water heater temperature at 120 degrees. A
family of four, each showering for five minutes, uses
about 700 gallons of water a week. By lowering the
thermostat, you can cut water heating bills without
sacrificing comfort
65. Use less detergent. Most people put in more than the
recommended amount, which causes the washer to have
to work harder to rinse your clothes
66. Wash only full loads and use the shortest cycle to get
your dishes clean
67. Wash your clothes in cold water. If either it or the dryer
has a low energy setting, use that.
68. A great luxury to have, and an appliance that makes quite
a difference in your energy usage is a tankless water
heater.
General
69. Set your appliances to "power save" or "quiet mode"
70. Pay for a full inspection
71. Centralize and track your home energy usage by moving
towards a smart home strategy
72. Always use cold water when it will do the job as well as
hot
73. Insulation if your friend. The higher the R value, the
better it is.
74. Operate your stove, oven, dishwasher and clothes dryer
in the morning or evening when it’s cooler outside. They
add extra heat to your home and make your air
conditioner work harder
75. Buy a Kill a Watt handheld wattage tester. It will tell you
how much energy your appliances are using, which makes
it easier to plan energy savings
76. Remember that energy savings doesn't just mean electric.
Water is fast becoming a scarce resource, and maximizing
your water efficiency is a good idea
HVAC
77. Programmable Thermostat for HVAC
78. Make sure windows are shut when running the heat or AC
79. Close the air vents in unused rooms
80. Move your thermostat up or down by two extra degrees
to cut down on HVAC use
81. Move your thermostat an additional three degrees when
you aren't home to cut down on HVAC use.
82. Clean your filters once a month
83. Check your HVAC system's ducts for leaks
84. Clean the outside Condenser several times a year
85. Check your outside AC Condenser for leaks
86. Make sure your thermostat and HVAC are still working
together promptly
87. Lower the amount of cycles your AC and heat go through
manually to reduce usage.
88. Clear out the plants around your AC Compressor
89. Get an HVAC inspection. Check your area for rebates on
air duct inspections and cleaning
90. Limit your use of space heaters or window air conditioner
units
91. Turn down the heat. You’ll typically save 1 percent to 3
percent on your heating costs for every degree you dial
down
92. Be sure the thermostats on appliances work properly. If
the thermostat sticks, the appliance stays on and raises
your energy bill
93. Buy an air conditioner with a high energy efficiency rating
(EER). It’s printed on the EnergyGuide label attached to
the unit. A unit with an EER of 10 will cost half as much to
operate as one with an EER of 5
94. Go small on a new HVAC- your heat and air are meant to
withstand extreme temperatures. If making a big
purchase like an HVAC, it's best to go small and use
energy efficient measures to ensure it's enough
95. Have your heating system tuned and inspected by a
service professional before each heating season. Heat
losses from a poorly maintained system add up over time,
sometimes at a rate of 1 percent to 2 percent a year
96. If you don't use a room often, close the heating and air
vent. If it's not near a thermostat, close the door.
97. Install an automatic setback or programmable thermostat
that starts your air conditioner shortly before you get
home
98. Install your air conditioner in the shade. When it’s in
direct sunlight, it uses more energy
99. Put your thermostat on an interior wall and make sure it's
not too close to an attic, garage, or windows. If the air
around your thermostat is warmer than the rest of the
house, you'll run the AC more often and for longer time.
Kitchen
100. Turn off your kitchen fan after cooking
101. A dishwasher will operate more efficiently if you unclog
102. of food particles and clean it regularly
103. Avoid using your dishwasher to warm plates. The extra
heat will raise your energy bill
104. Set your dishwasher at 120 degrees or “low.” Check your
manufacturer’s manual to see if you can use 120 degree
water
105. Use glass and ceramic dishes. They hold heat better and
you can lower the oven temperature 25 degrees
106. Avoid opening the refrigerator or freezer door to
browse. Each time you do, cold air escapes and your
energy costs increase
107. Because frozen food stays cold longer than air, it’s good
to keep your freezer full, but not packed.
108. Clean the reflector pans on your range. They’ll reflect
more heat when they shine
109. Close your refrigerator door with a dollar stuck halfway in
and out. Can you pull it out easily? If so, you may want to
replace the seal on your refrigerator, or at least scrub
debris off to help it stick better.
110. Cutting food into smaller portions saves cooking time
111. Don't leave appliances on if you're out of the room more
than five minutes.
112. Don't overpack your refrigerator. It's good to have a full
refrigerator, but not packed.
113. Get a couple of gallons of water for the back of your
refrigerator. It keeps the area cool and helps reduce
motor use.
114. If the flames on your gas stove or oven are yellow, energy
is being wasted and the burners need adjusting. Call an
appliance repair professional
115. If you have a manual-defrost freezer, it will work more
efficiently when ice buildup is kept to 1/4 inch or less
116. If you have a self-cleaning oven, clean it immediately
after use. Because it’s already hot, it will take less energy
to get to the heatcleaning stage
117. Instead of leaving your coffee maker with a pot brewing,
put your coffee into a well-insulated thermos.
kitchen Leave room in front of your refrigerator/freezer to allow
cold air to circulate better
118. Let hot foods cool before putting them in your
refrigerator or freezer. Hot foods make the refrigerator
think it needs to run.
119. Make sure the condensor coils on the back of your fridge
are clean and at least two inches away from the wall. If
they are against the wall, your refrigerator will keep
running.
120. Open the oven door to peek at food inside, and you’ll
lose 25 degrees to 75 degrees of heat. It’s best to look
through the window or wait until the food is almost done
before opening the door
121. Preheat the oven only when the recipe calls for it. Don’t
preheat if you’re using the broiler
122. Put a gallon of distilled water in the back of your freezer,
and like the refrigerator, it works best full but not
packed.
123. Put lids on pots and pans and make sure they’re the right
size for the burners. Foods will cook faster and use less
energy
124. Put more than one item in the oven at once
kitchen Set the refrigerator thermometer at 38 degrees to 42
degrees and your freezer at 0 degrees to 5 degrees
125. Turn off the dishwasher after the wash and rinse cycles.
When dishes air dry, you’ll save on heating costs. On
newer models, use the heat-off setting or the energysaver
dry option
126. When your electric burners are worn out and don’t work
properly, they use more energy. Save by replacing them
127. Your refrigerator/freezer uses more electricity than any
other appliance in your kitchen.
128. Your stove or oven may not always be the best choice!
Small appliances, such as crockpots and electric frying
pans, and your microwave oven may be more energy
efficient
129. Use the oven instead of a propane grill 10 times per year
130. Use the burners instead of a propane grill 10 times per
year
131. Don't put aluminum foil at the bottom of a grill to catch
drippings.
Lighting
132. Replace burned out bulbs with more expensive LED or
CFL bulbs. They have 25000 lives, so they cost less while
using 15-20% of the energy
133. Verify how many watts your lightbulb needs. Err to
having dimmer lights rather than too many.
lighting When buying light fixtures, look for the Energy Star
rating to save the amount of watts needed
134. Replace multi-light fixtures (Chandelier and multiple-light
ceiling fans) with single light fixtures or multiple, dimmer
lights
135. Move your lights onto a fixed schedule to avoid leaving
any on too long.
136. Dimmer Switches to keep wattage low
137. The Lighting Facts label on light bulb packages highlights
brightness and yearly energy cost
138. When buying bulbs, check the lumens. The higher the
lumens, the more light you’ll get.
Living Room
139. Move free standing light fixtures away from well lit areas.
living room Create free "solar lamps". Use white/light, lampshades.
Put lamps in well lit corners to get reflection from two
walls.
140. About 14 percent of air escapes your home through the
fireplace chimney
141. Buy insulated drapes. They provide better heat
dispursement in the winter and insulation from heat if
pulled over windows in the summer
living room Don't worry about unplugging your power strips because
of the "vampire" power your TV uses. Similarly, it's a
myth that leaving your phone in the charger all night uses
a lot of vampire energy. In both cases, the difference is
pennies.
142. Dust- if you're furniture and appliances are dusty, it cuts
down on the natural light.
143. For small, detachable appliances like hand held vacuums,
use them plugged in whenver possible. It takes less
energy than recharging
144. Light colored walls reflect light, which means they need
fewer watts to illuminate
145. On cloudy days, keep the blinds closed to have the
strongest barrier against the outside
146. Put furniture near windows so sunlight will bounce off
and dispurse more natural light
147. Replace broken glass on windows as soon as possible.
148. Seal unused fireplaces to keep heat from escaping and
cold air from coming in
149. Take advantage of free light from the sun by putting
furniture near windows
150. Turn the central heat off if you're using the fireplace and
only using one room.
151. While you want the south facing drapes open during
sunny days to help warm the house, the north facing
drapes should be insulated and closed to keep out the
cold
Other
152. Use a generator for two hours a night.
Pool
153. If you have a pool or spa, put a solar cover over them
whenever possible. It insulates the water temperature
and helps prevent some evaporation.
154. Keep the pool filters clean. You’ll save energy
security Place security lights on a timer or photoelectric control so
they’ll turn on and off automatically. Mercury vapor or
high pressure sodium lights are the best energy buys for
outdoors
Windows and Doors
155. If it is a cool morning to be followed by a warm
afternoon, open your windows until it warms up above
room temperature.
156. If you're handy, start replacing your leaky windows with
high performance windows now. No need to wait and
replace them all at once
157. Put low cost, transparent, window coverings on windows
to insulate them.
158. Recaulk all of your windows
159. Stop giggling at the word caulk
160. Block window and door frames with weather strips or
draft guards
Yard
161. If you're putting in a sprinkler system, consider using
natural irrigation to help cut down on water bills
162. If placed well, rain barrells are a good fit for every yard
