No-cost and Low-cost Energy Improvements
There are numerous ways to improve your home or business that reduce your energy and water bills and reduce your environmental impact at little or no cost. Click below to find no-cost and low-cost solutions for:
- Move furniture away from any radiators or vents - Apply weather-stripping and door sweeps to leaky doors and windows - Apply caulk and low-expansion sprayfoam to gaps in baseboards and holes left by overzealous cable installers - Install and use a programmable thermostat to decrease the heat/AC used when you are asleep or out of your home - Service your HV/AC equipment regularly - In the winter, open curtains during the day to let in heat, and draw curtains at night to provide insulation to keep heat in - In the summer, do the reverse (There are insulated curtains designed especially for this purpose) - Place cling film over leaky windows during the winter - Use fans - Block unused fireplaces with a chimney balloon - Insulate old electric water heaters with a 3-inch or thicker insulating jacket - Turn down the temperature of your hot water heater to a non-scalding temperature (120° recommended) - Insulate your hot water pipes - Don’t let the water run while shaving/washing dishes - Only wash full dishwasher loads - Replace all bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs, e.g. compact fluorescents (last 5-10 times longer) and LEDs (last 50 times longer) - Use natural light when possible - Install timers and/or motion sensors - Clean the metal grids (condenser coils) on the back of your refrigerator (especially if you have pets) - Wait until food has cooled down before putting it in the refrigerator - Defrost freezer regularly - Check the door seals on a refrigerator by closing the door on a dollar bill; if you can remove the bill easily, you may need to replace your seals - Cook two days’ meals at once; this uses less energy and saves time! - When heating water, only heat the amount you need; any excess water heated is wasted energy - Microwaves generally use less energy than conventional ovens and stoves - Turn off or unplug appliances not in use - Purchase smart power strips to reduce vampire power in TV- and computer-related appliances - Don’t purchase any electronics without the EnergyStar logo - Open the door to the dishwasher and let the dishes air dry instead of using the drying phase - Purchase power monitoring devices to see how much power each appliance uses - Wash full loads only - Use cold water whenever possible - Air-dry your clothes - Clean out the lint tray before every load
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