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ENERGY SAVING TIPS
FOR HOMES
Quick Savings
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Tips for Homes
AIR CONDITIONING
Save on your energy bill by turning up your AC 1-2° — save even more when you use a programmable or Wi-Fi enabled smart thermostat.
Every degree above 78 can save you up to 8% on your energy bill.
Setting your AC to a very low temperature does not make your house cool down faster. It just wastes energy.
Set or program your AC to 80° when you’re gone for more than 4 hours.
Set the AC to cool down after 7 p.m.
A programmable or smart thermostat can automatically adjust cooling or heating temperatures for optimal performance and savings. A smart thermostat may be adjusted remotely.
Use fans. They make a room feel 4-6° cooler.
Keep out the sun and hot air.
Make sure windows and doors are closed tightly.
Close blinds or drapes on windows that get direct sunlight.
Shade your outside AC units or condensers.
Limit your use of the vent fans above your stove and in your bathroom. They pull in hot outside air, making your AC work harder.
HEAT
Turn down your heat 1-2° or as low as is comfortable — save even more on your energy bill when you use a programmable or smart thermostat.
Setting your heat to a very high temperature does not make your house heat up faster. It just wastes energy.
Set or program your heat to 55° when you’re gone for more than 4 hours.
Turning your thermostat down 7° to 10° for 8 hours a day in the fall or winter, and up in the spring and summer can save you up to 10% per year on your heating and cooling bills.
Keep out the cool air and let in the sun.
Make sure windows and doors are closed tightly.
Open blinds or drapes on windows that get direct sunlight during the day to naturally heat your home. Close them at night to reduce the chill.
Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning. Keeping it open is like keeping a window open during the winter; warm air goes right up the chimney.
If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.
If you do use the fireplace, install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air back into the room and lower your thermostat setting to between 50° and 55°F.
ELECTRIC WATER HEATER
Set your water heater temperature to 120°F.
ALL APPLIANCES
Consult the Energy label prior to purchasing appliances to get information on energy consumption and how much energy the appliance uses in comparison to similar models.
REFRIGERATOR & FREEZERS
Keep your refrigerator and freezer full, even if you just use bottles of water. A full fridge uses less energy.
Minimize opening and closing your refrigerator and freezer. Each time you open them, warm air rushes in causing appliances to work harder and use more energy.
When you purchase a new, more energy-efficient refrigerator, consider recycling your old refrigerator. Storing your old refrigerator in a garage or other non-air conditioned space can damage the refrigerator and make it work much harder, costing you more money.
Make sure the seals on your refrigerator and freezer are airtight.
Keep the condenser coils on your refrigerator and freezer clean.
WASHERS, DRYERS, & DISHWASHERS
Save money by letting the Texas heat dry your clothes.
Use a clothesline or drying rack instead of the dryer.
If your clothes dry a little stiff, use your dryer’s “fluff” cycle (before 3 or after 7 p.m.).
Run washers, dryers, and dishwashers only when fully loaded.
Use the air-dry setting on your dishwasher. The heat-dry setting uses more energy. It also heats up your home, which means more AC.
Wash your laundry with cold water.
Don’t overfill your dryer.
Dry your laundry loads back-to-back and clean the lint filter between loads. This way, your dryer is still hot from the previous load, and you save energy.
ELECTRONICS
Unplug TVs and other equipment when you leave a room. Use power strips to make this easy. Many electronics continue to use power even when they are switched off which can add 10% to your monthly utility bill.
Use the "home" or "standard" setting on your TV to reduce the TV's energy usage by 18% to 30%.
Unplug your phone charger and similar devices when charging is complete.
Use
ENERGY STAR
set-top boxes which are 40% more efficient than conventional models.
Stream content on the smallest device that makes sense for the number of people watching.
Watch out for video game consoles. They can be energy hogs! Streaming on your video game console can use 10 times more power than streaming through a tablet or laptop.
LIGHTING
Replace traditional incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) or
ENERGY STAR
certified LED (light-emitting diode) lightbulbs. An
ENERGY STAR
certified LED lightbulb uses up to 90% less energy than old incandescent bulbs and can save you more than $80 in electriciy costs over its lifetime.
ENERGY STAR
certified light fixtures use 70%-90% less energy, produce about 70% less heat than traditional models using incandescent light bulbs, and last about 15-25 times longer
Using a small light when reading is more efficient than brightly lighting an entire room.
Keep your light bulbs clean and free from dust.
Use LED holiday light strings to reduce the cost of decorating your home for the winter holidays.
Turn off lights when not in use.