Washing clothes uses a lot of energy, especially if you use warm or hot water. About 90 percent of the energy is used just to heat the water. To save on water heating costs, wash clothes in cold water.
Upgrade to ENERGY STAR®-certified clothes washers and gas dryers to save energy and money. Certified dryer models use about 25 percent less energy than conventional models, and certified washers use 33 percent less water compared to other models.
When using your gas oven, limit opening the door to constantly check on food. The temperature can drop by as much as 50 degrees, wasting energy each time the door is opened.
When using your range, choose the burner size that most closely matches the size of your skillet or pan for the most efficient cooking.
Consider cooking outside on a gas grill for a better and tastier experience.
Typically, water heaters are set 50-70 degrees above air temperature; a simple water heater blanket from any department store can save you up to 10 percent in energy costs.
On-demand gas water heaters only heat water when you need it, the rest of the time it's off and you're saving money and energy.
Gas water heaters are cheaper to operate, more efficient and heat water faster than electric.
Turn your air conditioner up from 68 to 73. This change makes it 40 percent easier for your air conditioner to keep your home cool.
Replace your air conditioner filter frequently to remove inside dust and outside dirt.
Don't turn your air conditioner on full blast when you come home to a hot and humid house. To cool the room faster and save energy, open some doors and windows to vent the heat first, then close them and turn the AC to medium. That saves energy and your AC.
Today's modern gas ranges, dryers and water heaters have pilotless ignitions. That saves up to 40 percent over piloted systems which need to burn 24/7.
Replace old incandescent bulbs with the CFL bulbs; they use 25-35 percent less energy.
Try LED bulbs rated by ENERGY STAR®; they may cost a little more but they use more than 75 percent less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lighting.
Check for leaky faucets. A single leaky hot water faucet can waste up to 212 gallons of water a month for an average-size single family home.
If your water heater capacity is 70 gallons, a leaky faucet can cause you to pay to heat three full tanks of water for nothing.
Try to avoid using your big appliances during peak hours which is weekdays between 5pm - 9pm. This is generally the time with the biggest demand on energy.
Use the "delay wash" option on appliances to make it easy to use during off peak hours. Check your manuals for options.
