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Home Energy Saving Tips
Tips for Residents |
Tips for Businesses
 = Things you can do at home right now, at no cost to you!
Lighting
- Replace incadescent bulbs with fluorescent lamps with screw-in bases.
Fluorescent lamps can give the same amount of light as incandescent
bulbs, and replacing just half of your light bulbs with CFLs can reduce
your lighting energy use by up to 38%. Even though these bulbs cost
more, they last up to 10 times longer!
- One bulb is better than two. Use one higher wattage bulb instead of
several with lower wattage. One 100-watt bulb produces more light than
two 60-watt bulbs and uses less power.
Turn off lights when not being used (even energy-saving fluorescents).
Air Conditioning & Heating
- Replace or clean furnace filters once a month. Dirty filters restrict
airflow and increase energy use. Keep your furnace clean, lubricated
and properly adjusted to save up to 5% of your heating costs.
- Install a programmable thermostat. If you have a heat pump, select
a thermostat designed for heat pumps. Setback thermostats can save up
to 15% on energy costs.
Set your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher during the summer. Save 10-20%
of cooling costs.
Turn your thermostat down to 68 degrees during the day during the winter.
Save anywhere between 5-20% of your heating costs.
Don't turn your thermostat lower that normal to cool your home faster.
The house will still cool at the same rate and energy will be wasted.
- Plug your home's leaks. Install weather-stripping or caulk leaky doors
and windows and install gaskets behind outlet covers (save up to 10%
on energy costs). To find out more, attend a workshop on basic home
weatherization.
- Repair and seal ducts. Leaking ductwork accounts for more than 25%
of heating costs in an average California home.
- Increase ceiling insulation. If your ceiling is not insulated or scantily
insulated, consider increasing your insulation to reduce heating costs
by up to 25%. Insulation is measured by R-Value. The R-value in insulation
designates its resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the
greater the insulating ability - the more effective it is. Generally
speaking, each time you double the R-value of insulation, you cut your
conduction heat loss in that area in half. For more information about
determining the R-value for an existing house, visit the Department
of Energy's Insulation Fact Sheet.
When you're away from home during the summer cooling months, turn off
your cooling system completely if you will be away for a couple of days.
Save 5-12% on your cooling costs.
Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning to prevent
up to 8% percent of your furnace-heated air from going up the chimney.
Appliances
- Select the most energy-efficient model when buying a new ENERGY STAR
refrigerator, washer, or other appliance. Savings: 5-25% of operating
costs.
Give your refrigerator breathing room against the wall, clean the coils,
and don't set the temperature too low. Fresh foods keep at 37-42 degrees
Fahrenheit; frozen foods keep at 0-5 degrees Fahrenheit.
Open door on your refrigerator or freezer only when necessary. Each time
you open the refrigerator door, the compressor will run for 8-10 minutes
to keep the inside cold.
Unplug the spare refrigerator in the garage if you don't truly need it.
This seemingly convenient way to keep extra drinks cold adds up to 25%
to your monthly bill. And, if PG&E provides your power, you can get
$75 for getting rid of it!; Call 1-800-599-5798 for more information.
Unplug small appliances and electronic devices when not in use. Many new
TVs, VCRs, computers peripherals and chargers use electricity even when
they are switched off.
Water Heating
Keep the tank clean. Periodically drain off the sediment in the bottom
of the tank. Sediment buildup can insulate the water from the heating
element. Open the drain valve or faucet at the base of the water tank
and drain a gallon or two of water into a container until it runs clean.
Give your water heater a vacation too. When you leave your home for a
weekend or longer, turn your electric water heater off (check your owner's
manual for the manufacturer's instructions), or turn your gas water heater
to the "pilot" setting. Electric water heaters are most easily
shut off using the circuit breaker panel. Turning off a water heater for
less than 48 hours is not recommended.
- Wrap the hot water tank with jacket insulation if your hot water heater
doesn't have an "Energy Guide" label indicating it is energy
efficient. This is especially valuable for older water heaters with
little internal insulation.; Be sure to leave the air intake vent uncovered
(save up to 10% on water heating costs).
Hot Water Use
- Install low-flow showerheads and faucets or flow restrictors. Save
10-16% of water heating costs.
Take showers instead of baths, and shorten your shower time. Baths use
4.5 times more hot water than showers, and cutting your shower in half
will reduce water heating costs by 33%.
- Check for leaks. In just one month, a leaking hot water faucet can
waste hundreds of gallons of hot water.
Set your water heater thermostat to the "normal" setting or
120 degrees, unless the owner's manual for your dishwasher requires a
higher setting. Save up to 7-11% of your water heating costs.
- Operate your dishwasher only with full loads. And if the manufacturer's
instructions permit, open the door of the dishwasher at the end of the
last rinse cycle, rather than using the drying cycle. Save 40% of dishwashing
energy cost.
- Avoid using the "rinse hold" setting on your dishwasher
which uses up to seven more gallons of hot water per use. Use shorter
cycles in the dishwasher.
Wash clothes in cold or warm water. Always rinse in cold water. Wash full
loads or adjust the water level to fit the size of you load. Using cold
water reduces your washer's energy use by 75%.
Clothes Drying
- Dry two or more loads in a row, taking advantage of the heat still
in the dryer from the first load.
- Don't overdry clothes; it wastes energy, causes shrinkage, and shortens
the life of the clothes.
More tips from PG&E
Get an energy audit. You can call PG&E's Smarter Energy Line to get
an energy specialist to help you with your home energy audit, or you can
do a simple self-audit by direct mail or the Internet. Contact PG&E
to learn where your energy dollar goes.
- Take advantage of energy efficiency programs. PG&E is offering
rebates and other programs that can help you finance major energy efficiency
improvements for your home. Call the Smarter Energy Line at 1-800-933-9555
for more information.
Energy
Saving Resources - Home - Find tools that can help you calculate your
energy usage and audit your home and appliances to improve energy efficiency.
Find more tips you can employ to improve your energy efficiency at home.
1-2-3
Energy Reduction Plans - Energy-saving tips for small businesses,
cities, schools, restaurants and more.
Source: Compiled from the California
Energy Commission and California's municipal and investor-owned utilities.
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