ENERGY SAVING TIPS THAT COST NOTHING
By D. S. Mitchell
My PUD
I was on my local PUD (Public Utility District) website to make my monthly electric service payment, when for the first time I noticed they had a tab for Energy Saving Tips. Whoopee! So, without hesitation I opened the tab and found a treasure trove of no cost to moderate cost energy-saving tips. I was so impressed I printed it off for later reference. Hopefully you will find it helpful and will share all your new knowledge with friends and family.
No Cost Options
Saving money and addressing environmental issues are both good things. Some of the tips may be familiar and obvious while others are not. Take a look and see if you can’t find something that will help you save energy and benefit the environment. An energy-efficient home will be a pleasure to come home to while saving you money.
Jump Start Energy Saving Now
- Lower your thermostat when you go to bed or when you are away from home. Use a programmable thermostat, so it is automatic. Every degree lowered can decrease the heating portion of your energy bill by 2%.
- Get in the habit of shutting off lights as you leave a room. Don’t forget to shut of PC’s and other devices when not in use.
- Close your fireplace damper when there is no fire. Leaving it open is like having a 48 inch square hole in your house.
- Set your water heater to 120 degrees F. (which is comfortable for most people). When going away for any length of time set it to vacation mode, or simply turn it down.
- When washing cloths or dishes, wash only full loads and those in cold water.
- Air-dry your dishes or use air-dry feature on the dishwasher. When weather permits, hang your clothes outside on a clothesline to dry.
- Use kitchen and bathroom fans to cut moisture, as needed.
- Set your refrigerator between 36-39 degrees F.
- In the winter, open south-facing drapes/blinds during the day to let heat in and close all window drapes and blinds at night.
- Unplug laptop or cell phone battery chargers when not in use. Most draw power continuously, even when there are no devices plugged into the charger.
- Vacuum refrigerator coils of lint and clean the lint from clothes dryer often to increase efficiency.
- Use a toaster over or microwave for cooking and heating small portions.
- Use zonal-heat (baseboard, ceiling or wall heat) to your advantage by only heating rooms that are in use.
- Consider using jugs of water to occupy the space in your refrigerator. It takes more energy to cool an empty fridge than a full one.
