- Replace Windows. It may cost money but you could be losing a lot of heat and cool air through your windows. Again, you'll save on the electric bill if you replace your single-pane windows with new ones that have UV protections and tight seals. Improves the value of your house, too.
- Install a timer on pool filters so they run only when you need them.
- Air dry your clothes instead of using a dryer.
- Unplug appliances and chargers when not in use. They still use power just by being plugged in.
- Switch to flourescent bulbs
- Use Energy efficient computers. For many people, a computer is the central tool at work and home. Optimizing the energy settings for computers and other devices can be more than a modest energy saver.
- Set computers to energy-saving settings and make sure to shut them down when you are done, "standby" settings will continue to draw power even when not in use. By plugging hardware into a power strip with an on/off switch (or a smart power strip), the whole desktop setup can be turned off at once (make sure to power down inkjet printers before killing the power—they need to seal their cartridges). Printers, scanners, and other peripherals that are only used occasionally can be unplugged until they're needed
- Buy Energy Star-rated light bulbs and fixtures. They use at least two-thirds less energy than regular lighting, and install timers or motion sensors that automatically shut off lights when they're not needed.
- Use of occupancy sensors to monitor overhead lighting. Great for bathrooms, offices, and rooms that don't need constant lighting.
- Install a programmable thermostat. Being able to turn down the heat for large chunks of time, such as at night or while at work, can make a difference in your overall energy consumption. Consider turning off the heat to rooms that are not heavily used.
- Move your thermostat down 2° in winter and up 2° in summer. Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. You could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year with this simple adjustment.
- Perform regular maintenance. If you have a forced air furnace, make sure to clean or change the furnace filter about once a month. Most furnaces will need to be professionally cleaned and tuned once a year.
- Insulate your home. The best way to quickly save energy is by installing good insulation. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends an R-49 rating for attics. Visit www.energy.gov to learn more about these ratings.
- Plug leaks and holes. In addition to insulating your attic and walls, another easy energy saving step is to add caulking and weather stripping. Feel for cool air around windows, electrical receptacles, and pipe and wire entry points.
- Use less hot water. It takes a lot of energy to heat water. You can use less hot water by installing a low flow showerhead (350 pounds of carbon dioxide saved per year) and washing your clothes in cold or warm water (500 pounds saved per year) instead of hot.
- Turn off electronic devices you're not using. Simply turning off your television, DVD player, stereo, and computer when you're not using them will save you thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide a year.
- Unplug electronics from the wall when you're not using them. Even when turned off, things like hairdryers, cell phone chargers and televisions use energy. In fact, the energy used to keep display clocks lit and memory chips working accounts for 5 percent of total domestic energy consumption and spews 18 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year!
- Only run your dishwasher when there's a full load and use the energy-saving setting. You can save 100 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
- Get a home energy audit. Many utilities offer free home energy audits to help you find out where your home is not properly insulated or energy inefficient. You can save up to 30% off your energy bill and 1,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Energy Star can help you find an energy specialist.
- Switch to green power. In many areas, you can switch to energy generated by clean, renewable sources such as wind and solar. The Green Power Network is a good place to start to figure out what is available in your area.
- Start using rechargeable batteries. The average household uses 21 batteries a year. The UK generates 20,000 - 30,000 tons of waste general-purpose batteries every year, but less than 1,000 tons are recycled.
- Keep your fridge and freezer closed as much as possible. Use the water and ice dispenser if you have one, do quick open-and-closes. Keep the children from opening them up with one of those child safety locks.
- Check the seal on your refrigerator door. Put a dollar bill in doorway, close the fridge door on it, and pull out the bill. Try it at several points along the door and ff the bill pulls out easily, or even slightly easy, you can have someone re-seal the refrigerator.
- Close your curtains. Heat and cool air loss from older windows can be substantial. The sun beating in the windows will warm the house and cause the a/c to come on and work harder.
- Replace Bulbs throughout house. Go to a hardware store and buy Compact Fluorescent (CF) bulbs. They'll have a CF or Eco-something, or Energy-something on the label. This will save you money on your electric bill.
- Contact a solar energy company. See about installing a solar water heater. If you want to go for broke, find out about solar panels for your roof. The cost is still ridiculous but they are super-low interest loans available and many states offer incentives and rebates and help with the loans. Also what you're paying on the loan would have gone toward paying the electric bill. Eventually, you'll be making more power than you use and you'll be sending some of it back up the line to your power company.
- Be sure you're recycling at home. You can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide a year by recycling half of the waste your household generates. Earth 911 can help you find recycling resources in your area.
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