In the self-cleaning mode your oven reaches temperatures approaching 850 degrees F. You can minimize the energy consumption by starting the self-cleaning cycle while the oven is still warm from prior cooking.
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Do not preheat oven or broiler except when baked goods require a precise starting temperature. If you must preheat, keep in mind that most ovens will preheat in 10 minutes or less.
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Arrange oven racks before preheating. You don't want to spend time with the oven door open while you fumble with hot metal racks.
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Don't peek! Each time you open the oven door the temperature drops 25 to 50 degrees. Avoid lifting pot lids for the same reason.
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Turn off the oven or range a few minutes before cooking time has elapsed. It will still retain enough heat to finish the cooking.
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Cook multiple dishes in the oven at one time. When doing so, you should leave at least one inch on all sides of cookware surfaces, and avoid placing cookware on racks directly on top of each other.
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If you use aluminum foil to catch drips in the oven, do not place the foil on the rack with the cookware. This reflects heat away from the cooking surface. Place foil on the rack below the cookware.
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Once water reaches a state of boiling, it doesn't get any hotter. You can turn down the burner and still maintain a boiling temperature.
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A clean oven and range cooks more efficiently. Keep drip-pan and oven surfaces bright and shining.
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Thaw foods completely before cooking. If you have time thaw foods in the refrigerator. It takes longer, but you are also saving energy in your refrigerator. If you are really pressed for time, it is more efficient to thaw foods in the microwave than in the oven.
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Full size ovens are not very efficient when cooking smaller quantities of food. Cooking a potato in an electric oven will cost about $0.10 as compared to $0.05 in a toaster oven or $0.02 in a microwave.
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Bigger isn't always better. Use the smallest pan that will do the job. It takes less time to heat a smaller volume.
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With electric cook tops, use flat bottomed pots and pans that completely cover the burner. Any burner surface that is not touching the cookware is wasting energy.
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Copper bottom pans heat up faster than regular pans.
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If you have a gas range, make sure that you are getting a bluish flame. A yellow flame indicates that the gas might not be burning efficiently. Have the gas company check it out.
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Glass or ceramic pans in ovens are more efficient than metal. You can lower the temperature approximately 25 degrees F and cook in the same time.
Minimize water use while brushing teeth, shaving, and washing hands in bathroom sinks.
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A faucet that leaks one drip per second can waste 400 gallons of water in a year.
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Federal standards limit new showerheads to no more than 2.5 gallons per minute, because the energy and water savings are enormous.
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Replacing older showerheads with low flow units could save a family of four as much as 15,000 gallons of water per year, reducing water heating costs.
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Install a water softener unit in-line before the water heater. This will prevent sediment from building up in the bottom of the water heater.
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Ouch, not so hot! Lower the temperature of your water heater. This not only saves energy, but it reduces the chance of scalding. A 10 degrees F reduction in temperature saves about 13% of your water heating costs.
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A temperature setting of 120 degrees F is fine, unless your dishwasher doesn't have a booster heater.
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Wrap and reap (the energy savings). To see if your tank needs an insulation blanket, place your hand on the tank, if it feels warm then you need a blanket.
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Simple valves, known as heat traps, can be attached to the water lines near the water heater to keep heat from escaping. You can recoup an investment of about $25 in one year if you heat your water with electricity, or two years if you use gas.
Use a suds-saver option (if you have one) when washing lightly soiled clothes. This saves the rinse water for the next load.
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Most people in the appliance industry agree that cold water washes just as effectively as warm water.
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Soak cycles can allow for shorter wash times. For heavily soiled clothes, instead of a heavy wash cycle, try soaking and then using a shorter wash cycle.
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Sort clothes by degree of dirtiness. Use shorter wash cycles for lightly soiled clothes.
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Match the load setting to the size of the load. The load setting on your washer determines how much water is used. Smaller sized loads require less water. Your clothes washer uses just about the same amount of energy regardless of how much clothing is being washed.
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Washing two small loads uses approximately twice as much energy as combining them into one full load. By combining loads together you reduce the number of loads you wash which in turn reduces your energy use.
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If you are thinking of replacing your washing machine, consider a horizontal axis, or front-loading unit. Recent research has shown that these machines can reduce energy use by over 50%, use significantly less water, require less detergent and shorter drying cycles, and reduce wear and tear on clothes. Several U.S. manufacturers now have front load models in the larger sizes preferred by Americans.
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Don't overload the dryer. Overloading makes the dryer work harder and may cause excessive lint and wrinkling.
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Clean the lint filter after every load. Lint on the filter reduces air flow and makes the dryer work harder.
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Lightweight items take less time to dry than heavier items like towels.
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Dry like weight items together.
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Dry loads consecutively to take advantage of heat build-up in your dryer.
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Removing clothes as soon as the cycle is complete not only saves energy but also prevents wrinkling.
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Your dryer is most efficient when fully loaded. Combine smaller loads of wash into one dryer load, but be careful not to overload.
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Line dry clothes during periods of nice weather to take advantage of the free, environmentally friendly energy from the sun.
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Minimize pre-rinse. Newer dishwashers are better able to handle heavily soiled dishes and so require less pre-rinse.
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Proper loading takes full advantage of the spraying action of your particular dishwasher. Load dishes according to the dishwasher manufacturer's instructions. The owner's manual gives proper loading instructions.
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Use only recommended amounts of dishwashing detergent. If you use too much detergent the suds will not fully rinse and additional rinsing will be required; too little and the dishes will not clean properly.
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Your dishwasher uses the same amount of water regardless of how many dishes are washed. Wash full loads whenever possible.
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Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying heater.
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Use a lighter wash cycle for lightly soiled dishes.
Turn off lights. This energy saving measure has been around since Edison first turned a light on, and it's as effective as ever. Try motion sensors that turn lights off automatically when everyone leaves a room.
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Timers that automatically turn lights on and off can reduce your energy use and at the same time increase safety by making a house seem occupied even when people are away.
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Keep fixtures and bulbs clean. Dirt, along with being unsightly, can absorb as much as 50% of the light.
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Consider the cost of lighting your home. Do you realize that the money you spend on light bulbs is probably only 5-10% of the total cost? The other 90-95% is the cost of electricity to run those bulbs. That's why you should look for more efficient rather than cheaper light bulbs, and that's why compact fluorescent lights are so appealing.
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Use one bulb instead of multiple bulbs whenever possible. A single 100 watt incandescent bulb produces the same amount of light as two 60 watt bulbs and it uses 20% less energy.
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Do you have light bulbs that are difficult to get to and a real pain to change? Long-life incandescent bulbs last two to three times longer than a standard bulb and compact fluorescent lamps last up to ten times longer.
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Light colored walls and surfaces reflect light while dark colors absorb light. The same light fixture in two different rooms will provide different levels of light on a reading surface.
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Translucent lamp shades provide more light to a room than solid colored shades.
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Use dimmers or three-way incandescent bulbs to control the amount of light that you need in a room. Dimming the lights to half the illumination cuts energy consumption almost in half.
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Turn off lights when nobody is home. You can use a timer to ensure that you don't forget to do so.
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Instead of elaborate outside lighting, try accenting walkways and drives. This will save energy and provide safe light for people walking in hazardous winter conditions.
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When unplugging lights, always pull on the plug and not the cord. Over time pulling on the chord will damage it and create a hazard.
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That halogen torchier was cheap and attractive; but did you know you could be spending 2-3 times the purchase price PER YEAR in electricity costs, while the lamps have been shown to be fire hazards?
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Use daylight whenever possible, rather than turning on redundant overhead lighting.
Thermostats should be set at the highest comfortable temperature -- 76 degrees or higher -- and kept there. Each degree a thermostat is raised can save up to three to four percent on the cost of operating an air conditioner.
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Clean or change air conditioner filters monthly. The flow of air is the key to cooling, so don't make your system work harder than it has to. Also, make sure that air vents are clear of furniture or other objects that might slow down the flow of air.
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Shut the door or at least try to minimize the number of times that doors to the outside are opened and closed. Each time you open the door cold air enters the house.
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Cook meals and dry clothes during the cooler times of the day.
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Use a microwave oven to cook. A microwave oven cooks up to 75% faster and saves up to 70 percent of the energy used by a conventional oven.
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Encourage children to use energy wisely.
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Your house won't warm up any faster if you raise the thermostat setting.
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Don't let heat go up the chimney. Make sure the fireplace flue is closed when you are not using it.
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Use fans to keep air moving. A ceiling fan uses about as much electricity as a light bulb -- far less than an air conditioner.
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If your heating system has a pilot light turn it off during the summer. A pilot light typically costs $3-$5 per month to keep lit so why not turn it off when you aren't using it.
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Have your heating and or cooling system tuned and inspected by a service professional. Losses from a poorly maintained system accumulate over time – Sometimes at a rate of 1-2% each year.
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Make sure that your wall and attic are properly insulated. Adding batts of fiberglass insulation in your attic is one of the most cost effective savings measures and one that you can do yourself.
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Leaks develop in all air ducts over time. Sealing these leaks in ducts can reduce heating costs by up to 20% with reductions of 10% common!
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A programmable thermostat lets you easily lower the thermostat during periods when no one is home, as well as lower the temperature overnight without having to freeze in the morning while waiting for the heat to rise. You might save as much as 20% on your heating costs and recover your investment in the first year.
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Hot water heating systems use a network of pipes to distribute heat through your house. Uninsulated pipes waste energy. Wrapping pipes that are readily accessible with insulation is easy to do and fairly inexpensive. Pipe insulation made of fiberglass or foam can be found in all building supply stores. Use insulation with a wall thickness of 3/4 in for fiberglass and 1/2 in for foam.
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Single pane windows are inefficient. Replacing them with energy-efficient windows is a major investment, but in colder climates the heating savings can be considerable.
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Caulk windows and doors to prevent drafts.
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Electric outlets let cold air into the house. Remove the outlet covers and insert special insulation underneath. Use special insulating plugs in all outlets that are not being used.
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Use an exhaust fan to blow hot air out of your kitchen while cooking. The savings in your cooling costs far outweigh the electricity use of the fan.
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A breeze on a summer day can be enough to keep you cool. Instead of turning the air conditioner on, open doors and windows on opposite sides of the house for cross ventilation.
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Avoid activities that add heat or humidity to your home, particularly during the hottest parts of the day or limit them to times when nobody is home. For example, turn on your dishwasher as you leave the house or let dishes air dry rather than use the dishwasher's heater.
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Plant shade trees to block the heat from the sun. As the trees grow, they can dramatically cut your cooling bills.
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Close drapes and shades on windows during the day to keep heat from the sun out of your house. (Particularly on windows with an eastern and western exposure). In the evening opening drapes and shades lets heat escape through the windows.
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Consider using a dehumidifier instead of turning on the air conditioning. You will be comfortable at much higher temperatures if you reduce the humidity.
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Whole house fans can often be used in the evening instead of the air conditioner. The electricity consumption of the fan is much less than that of the air conditioner.
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Use an attic fan to get rid of the heat build-up in your attic. Heat from your attic eventually finds its way into your home.
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Don't let a room air conditioner bake in the sun. Room air conditioners work best when kept cool. Installing the unit in a north-facing wall is ideal. Another option is to take advantage of shade from trees.
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Seal any gaps along the sides of your room air conditioners with foam insulation. Your air conditioner needs to work much harder if the cool air is escaping.
Don't use a contractor who wants to size your unit solely on the square footage of your house. Contractors should calculate how much cooling a home needs according to guidelines such as the Air Conditioning Contractors of America's Manual J. To gather the information necessary, a contractor should spend about an hour poking around your house, taking measurements in each room and asking questions. He or she needs to measure floors, ceilings and walls-including all the windows-and check insulation in the attic, walls, and crawlspaces. Some other factors that go into the cooling load formula include indoor and outdoor temperatures, number of occupants, shading, siding, and roof color.
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Insist on getting a copy of the cooling load calculations (or computer printout). These can be useful in comparing bids from contractors. Question the contractor if the calculations do not include at least all the items mentioned above, or if they require an explanation.
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Don't be tempted by the lowest bid. Be willing to pay for the time the contractor must spend to do the job right.
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Check for duct leaks. Be sure air flow is not restricted by ducts that are disconnected, crushed, or too small for the system. Ideally, the contractor should use diagnostic equipment to find leaks and then fix them with quality duct sealants (not duct tape). It doesn't make a lot of sense to buy a larger air conditioner to cool your attic or crawlspace!
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Buy a high efficiency unit. Central air conditioners are rated by SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. New air conditioners are required by federal law to have a SEER of 10 or higher. Even though it will cost more, it is usually worth it to buy at least a SEER 12 unit because over time that initial investment will be paid back with energy savings. An easy way to identify SEER 12 and higher-rated units is to look for the EPA Energy Star logo. If you are replacing an existing air conditioner, you must replace the whole unit, including the inside coil and often the blower fan, to achieve the rated efficiency.
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Install for ease of maintenance. Make sure the inside coil can be reached for cleaning. The contractor may have to install an access panel, depending on the model. The coil should be cleaned every two years. The air filter should be located where it is easy to remove. Check it every month during the summer, and change or clean it whenever it is dirty.
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Place outside unit on north or east side of the house, out of direct sunlight. Leave plenty of room for free airflow on all sides, and at least four feet at the top. Keep the area free of debris and shrubbery.
If your pool is heated (other than with solar) set a time clock to start the pump no earlier than 6:00 am. This is the time when nightly heat losses stabilize.
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Turn off heater when your pool is not used for extended periods.
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Generally, one complete water turnover per 24 hours will provide adequate filtering.
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Consider installing a solar heating loop. If you use your pool all year round energy savings will often pay for the system in less than ten years.
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Use or install a pool cover; they can reduce your pool heating costs by 30 %. Pool covers that contain Ultraviolet (UV) inhibitors are more durable than ones that don't. Transparent or translucent 'solar' covers are most effective at warming your pool because they allow sunshine to warm the pool.
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Using a pool cover not only also saves energy, it also reduces water evaporation. For a 450 square foot pool you will save approximately 4,000 gallons annually.
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Lowering your pool temperature not only saves energy but will also reduce the amount of chemicals required to treat the pool.
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Sheltering your pool from winds reduces both heat loss and water evaporation. Decorative landscaping is a creative way to accomplish this.
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Fencing is another effective windbreak.
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An electric hot tub will cost roughly $4 to heat from 70° to 100° F and then about $1 per day to maintain that temperature. So if you're not going to use your hot tub for the next four days you will save energy by turning it off.
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Lowering the water temperature of your hot tub can significantly reduce your energy use.
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Cover your hot tub whenever it is not being used; this can save you up to $50 per year if you use electricity to heat your water.
