Managing Appliances to save energy
Washer and Dryer
See Laundry Above
Refrigerator and Dishwasher
See in Kitchen Above
(Numbers indicate order in which each idea was added to website.)
Appliances In General
30 Fix rather than buy appliances when you can
33 Use atmospheric water generator Read more And More
58 Always look for Energy Star Label on appliances Read more
67 Look for appliance recycling programs in your town
115 Measure your energy usage with a kilowatt reader Read more
496 Turn off the dehumidifier on dry days when it's not needed.
497 Turn off the humidifier on humid days when it's not needed.
530 Appliances add heat to your home operate in the morning or evening when cooler
574 Run your major appliances during non-peak electrical hours, after 8 p.m Read more
733 Dispose of your refrigerator and air conditioner properly Read more
754 Do moisture producing chores like washing clothes and dishes when its cooler
796 Check gas appliance flames - they should be blue Read more
800 Be familiar with pros & cons of biomass fuels Read more And More
1053 Clean humidifier coil regularly of mold and dirt
1054 Make sure humidifier has ample air around it for best performance
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Furnace/Air Conditioner/Ventilation
93 Use environmentally sound refrigerants
98 Set cool temperature higher
99 Set high temperature lower
102 Put a solar system on your house Read more
103 Put in a geothermal system Read more
104 Put in a heat pump for heating and cooling
105 Don't bake on summer afternoons when AC is on
121 Use zone heating around the house to save energy Read more
247 Clean your heating vents and keep them unblocked
266 Ceiling fans promote more uniform heating and cooling Read more
Don't just own ceiling fans, learn how to use them.
282 Don’t block radiators
286 Get annual tune up on your furnace Read more
287 Get annual tune up on your air conditioner Read more
288 Buy a new high efficiency furnace or air conditioner Read more
300 Don’t jump thermostat too high then have to turn it down Read more
303 Change the pads on your evaporative cooler before each summer
459 Use high supply for cooling and supply grilles for heating Read more
495 Don't run evap cooler and AC at the same time
519 Cranking up thermostat on a heat pump system may turn on back-up heating strips
520 Install programmable thermostat that will automatically adjusts temperature Read more
521 Changing the furnace filter every few months will save energy Read more
522 Keep furniture and drapes away from the HVAC air supply and return grilles
523 Be sure air conditioner is fully charged with freon so it operates efficiently Read more
524 Install baffle plate or damper in cooler before switching to AC
525 When buying an air conditioner, don't over-size it Read more
526 Install your air conditioning compressor in a shady spot, it will work more efficiently.
527 Allow plenty of air flow around the air conditioning compressor for more efficiency
528 Bleed air from hot water radiators a couple of times each season Read more 529 Place heat resistant radiator reflectors between the exterior walls and the radiators.
531 During the winter, remove window air conditioners and seal the windows
532 Cover the central air conditioner in the winter with a tarp to keep it clean Read more
533 Install variable speed Furnaces and ACs Read more
534 Install a whole-house fan in the attic to draw hot air out of the house
535 Close the doors and shut the vents in the rooms you don't use? Maybe not Read more
537 Use ventilating fans in your kitchen, bath and utility area prudently Read more
538 Use small UL approved space heater as efficient way to supplement heating Read more
541 Inspect HVAC duct system to be sure properly sealed and well insulated Read more
594 Reverse your ceiling fans by the season as recommended
596 Be sure to set lower heating temp and higher cooling temp when on vacation
611 During daylight in winter, open all the drapes and blinds on south-facing windows
612 Close all the window blinds and drapes at night to reduce heat loss
752 Turn off fans in empty rooms
757 Make sure your attic is properly ventilated Read more
785 Use biomass or waste sources for pellet fueled stoves
785 Avoid portable heaters they usually use a lot of energy Read more
1029 Don't use oven to heat home
1063 Keep thermostat away from warm appliances etc so it doesn't short cycle
1068 Save energy by keeping difference between stat setting & outside temp close Read More
1142 Buy green power from your utility Read More
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Digital Devices
21 Print as little as possible
22 Use both sides of paper
23 Use smaller font sizes
70 Unplug TV and other energy using appliances when vacationing Read more
132 Read digital books
178 Recycle your cell phone Read more
184 Don’t print tickets - use e-tickets Read more
234 Stream your videos instead of buying DVDs Read more
294 Buy a solar smart phone charger Read more
296 Use your phone as an alarm clock instead an actual plug in clock
298 Unplug that xbox and play station Read more
299 Unplug your printer and computer
389 Use bamboo key board and mouse Read more
503 Turn off other home office equipment when not in use.
506 Dispose of your electronics correctly at recycling station for electronics
712 Buy a laptop instead of a desktop - they use less energy
713 If not using computer for a while be sure to turn off rather than energy saver
748 Don't fall asleep with the TV on
750 Buy advanced power strips to stop energy draw in standby mode Read more
801 Avoid using screen savers Read more
802 Set your television to the "standard" setting to reduce brightness Read more
803 Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged
804 Look for Energy Star electronic equipment
805 Avoid streaming content on game consoles that use more energy Read more
806 Ask provider for Energy Star set-top box from your cable company
918 Buy re-manufactured ink for printer Read more
1059 Use a low-energy inkjet printer rather than an energy-guzzling laser printer
1111 Get rid of that answering machine
1154 When printing from website use print format button
1155 Make smaller margins on your document that will take fewer pages Read More
1156 Use smaller font
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Water Heater
109 Insulate your hot water lines
267 Place your water heater as close as possible to the point of highest water use
285 Put timer on water heater to use when gone or even at night
589 Set your water heater to the "vacation" mode when you're away from home
591 Lower your water temperature to 120
595 If you have old inefficient water heater buy a new one Read more
597 Don't replace the hot water heater with one bigger than you really need Read more
598 Replace tank type water heater with instantaneous water coils Read more
599 Drain quart of water from hot water tank every few months to remove sediment Read more
940 Consider installing a solar water heater Read more
Fireplace and Stoves
182 Use only good hardwoods in fire place Read more And More
485 Install glass doors on all fireplaces
486 Have chimney inspected and cleaned regularly if used often Read more
487 Use outside air source for your fireplace Read more
488 Keep your fireplace damper closed in the winter when not in use
490 In the summer, open the damper to create a natural cooling draft
491 If you don't use your fireplace insulate and seal it Read more
492 Use grates made of C-shaped metal tubes to recirculate room air through fireplace
493 Install a circulating fan in your fireplace to save energy in your home Read more
657 Don’t use your wood stove or fireplace when air quality is poor
658 Avoid slow-burning fires. They produce the largest amount of pollution Read more
1087 Don't use a wood stove or fireplace when air quality is bad