Twenty-Four Important Tips for Energy Conservation
Home Cooling
1. Open the windows to let the tradewinds cool your home.
2. Use fans instead of air conditioners.
3. Apply window tinting to reduce the need for air conditioning.
4. Close drapes or blinds to keep the sun’s heat out.
5. Plant native trees and plants around your home to keep it cooler.
6. Choose light-colored exterior colors and roofing materials to keep your home cooler in the sun.
Water Heating
7. Replace your old water heater with a high efficiency water heater.
8. Shorten your showers.
9. Repair leaking faucets.
10. Lower the setting on your water heater.
11. Install low-flow restrictors on faucets and showerheads.
12. Limit how long you keep open the refrigerator door.
Lighting
13. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights.
14. Use solar-powered lights outdoors.
Dishwashing
15. If you use a dishwasher, let dishes air dry instead of using the dry cycle.
Clothes Washing
16. Use cold water whenever possible.
17. Hang out your laundry rather than using the dryer.
18. If you use a dryer clean the lint filter before each load.
Cooking
19. Turn off the oven about five minutes early and let the heat finish the cooking.
20. Use glass or ceramic pans and turn the temperature down about 25 degrees.
Electronics
21. Use a power strip so you can turn off devices that cause phantom loads when not being used (e.g., cell phone chargers).
22. Activate sleep features on computers and office equipment that power down when they aren’t being used.
23. If you aren’t going to use your computer for more than twenty minutes then turn the monitor off, and if you aren’t going to use it for more than two hours then turn the computer off.
24. Limit use of the computer screen saver because it doesn’t save energy. Set the computer to go from screen saver to sleep mode.
