How to Save Energy

Are you looking for ways to save energy in your home? With the ever rising cost of energy we should all be seeking methods to reduce our consumption and reduce the amount of money that we have to send to our utility companies. Below are some tips to assist in this endeavor:

Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.

Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use-

Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use

Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer. Install a
programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system.

Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. You can purchase these at Walmart, Home Depot Lowes and now many grocery store chains are carrying these bulbs.

Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.

Take short showers instead of baths. This is always a problem in my home, my son believes that all the hot water in the tank should be used by him and him alone, he absolutely loves his hot showers....

Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. Try to avoid using the dishwasher whenever you can, if you have only a few dishes it is much more cost efficient to clean them by hand.

Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline. Check the pressure in your tires, combine trips that you need to take, if you have to go to the grocery store and the dry cleaner, map out in your mind your destinations and do your trips in one running, rather than multiple trips

Turn your lights off in the house if you are not in the room. I keep a small light on in the kitchen that turns on when it is dusk, the same goes for the den lighting, it just comes on when it is needed.