The Basics of Electricity Conservation

To aide conservation of electricity, turn off lights when you leave a room. Also be sure lights are off before you leave the house and when you go to bed. Do not leave your refrigerator door standing open for no reason (for example: while you make a sandwich). The longer your fridge is open, the longer it takes to cool down, and is therefore not energy efficient during that cool-down time. See Conserve Electricity in Your Refrigerator below for more fridge tips. Replace filters in heaters and air conditioning units every 3 months to ensure maximum air flow when the vents are on. Also clean out your filters every month (or 2x a month does not hurt). If vents get blocked by debris, the electronic device powering your air conditioner or heater has to work harder, consuming more energy and taking away from your electricity conservation.

Buy Energy Efficient

Take the time to look for energy efficient alternatives when you go shopping. Light bulbs are a good example of a power saving device. Buy light bulbs that look like spirals- they are called compact fluorescent bulbs (CFBs). Not only do CFBs use 75% less energy to operate, they last ten times longer than a regular light bulb! Since CFBs use less energy, they put off less heat too, making them convenient in the warm months. One CFB light bulb will save your energy bill an average of $40 over its lifetime compared to a regular light bulb- that is a ton of money for one light bulb! CFBs are a great way to save on energy bills.

When it comes time to replace an appliance- any appliance- look for a new one that has the “Energy Star” mark of excellence on it. You can find any appliance you could ever possibly need in an Energy Star version. Everything from computers, tvs, coffee pots, dishwashers, cell phones, hair dryers, microwaves, heaters and air conditioners, CFB light bulbs (of course) and tons more. I have never needed an electricity consuming device and been unable to find an Energy Star version of it. If it uses electricity, chances are there is an Energy Star of that item. Many companies now are interested in conservation of electricity and want their products certified as energy savers.

So what does Energy Star mean anyway? Well, any product that displays the Energy Star sticker of approval has met strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the US Environmental Protection Agency (the EPA). That means it is guaranteed to use a lot less energy than a regular electricity- consuming product, and is therefore much more efficient, will last longer, and of course- really lower your electricity bill!

Turn Down your Water Heater

Most people have no idea how much energy their water heater takes up. I asked some friends how much electricity consumption they thought their water heater took up. Most thought that it could not be more than 5% of their electricity bill. The truth is most people’s water heater eats up 15-20 percent of their electricity! That means almost a quarter of your electric bill is from your water heater alone! Well of course you can’t do without your hot water heater, but if you are like most of the civilized world, your hot water heater is probably turned up too high. So what is the correct temperature setting to conserve energy? You need it to be high enough to kill bacteria, but not so high that you can get burned turning the hot water on. Of course most people do not know that your water temperature looses about 10 degrees going from your water heater to your faucet. So for the best conservation of electricity, the correct temperature to set your hot water heater at is 130 degrees. That is a temperature that will wipe out bacteria in your hot water tank, but not so hot that it can hurt you. Of course when it comes out of the faucet it will be about 120 degrees (as I mentioned, it looses about 10 degrees in the pipes). But 120 degrees is perfect for a nice shower or bath. So turn your hot water heater down to 130 degrees and if you are one of the many that have their temperature too high, you will shave at least 5 percent off that electric bill.

Turn Down your Thermostat

It is common knowledge that turning down your thermostat can save energy. However, many people do not realize that just a degree or two can make a big difference when it comes to electricity saving. Also, you can turn it down a few more degrees at night since you are in bed. Or if you have a thermostat in your bedroom, turn down the rest of your house a few degrees at night and keep your bedroom the same temperature. If you are leaving the house you can turn it down a bit, but not too much, or else you will have to expend a lot of energy getting your house back to a comfortable temperature once you get home.

Save Power with Standby Mode

Lots of people have computers, and many people keep them on around the clock. While this makes it convenient to just sit down at your computer and have it ready at any time, there is a setting on most newer computers called Standby mode that can help with conservation of electricity. Standby mode “puts your computer to sleep” so to speak. This mode is a low- power setting, so it is conserving energy it would be wasting if it were just left on. If you touch the keyboard while the computer is in Standby mode, the computer wakes up again, having left all your settings, your open programs, and your internet browser windows exactly where they were when you put the computer on standby. This is really handy if you are working on something and then have to go run an errand for example, because not only does it save energy, but you don’t have to open everything up again or wait for the computer to boot.

Conserve Electricity in Your Refrigerator

As with most things, turning down your refrigerator (or in this case, turning it up) will conserve energy. Most fridges do not need to sit on the coldest setting to be effective at chilling your food. If you see ice forming at the sides or bottom of your fridge, it is set too low. The ideal temperature for your fridge is 37 and for your freezer is 3 (that is Fahrenheit by the way) if you want to conserve electricity. If your fridge has a Condensation Control switch, turn it off in cooler winter months. When it is cooler, it is also drier, so you do not really have to worry about condensation. Of course do not forget to turn it back on when it warms up, or you might get a mold problem.

Make sure your fridge and freezer doors are sealing properly too. A fridge leak can waste a lot of electricity! Run your fingers around the edge of the doors when they are closed to check for cool air coming out. If you do find a gap in the sealing, fix it right away because it can cost a lot on your energy bill! Also, when making food, instead of opening the door every time you need an ingredient, decide what you will need to cook and get it out all at once. Every time you open the door it sucks warm air into the fridge, so opening it less is of course better for conservation of electricity.

Don’t Get Drained By Phantom Energy Vampires

It sounds like something out of a science fiction program, but energy vampires are real, and you might have several in your house right now (gasp!) Energy vampires are appliances that keep using electricity even when they are off. You might be surprised by how much energy they use too, which messes up your conservation of electricity. Many people who consider themselves energy- conscious have never tested their appliances for phantom energy drain. So you could be doing everything you can think of to limit energy consumption, and still have electricity being leeched off your power grid constantly. Alright, so who are the culprits keeping you from conserving energy? Anything that produces light constantly or is waiting for a signal from a remote control is using energy, all the time. That means the little LCD on your computer monitor, the time display on your microwave, and even your tv when it appears completely off- they are all consuming power around the clock. You see, at least some power has to be used to keep little lights on, clocks keeping time, and your tv ready for you to push that “On” button.

However, exactly what is really essential everyday in your home is up to you. For example: do you already have a clock in your kitchen besides the microwave? Have you really ever bothered to set the time on that VCR? Do you use that stereo system every day, or just once a week? Turning electronics off (actually removing them from the power source) will stop phantom energy drain from that appliance dead in its tracks. So unplug the microwave when not in use, same for that VCR and the stereo system. Your conservation of electricity will really improve

I know, you are thinking, “I want to conserve electricity and all, but I am not crawling behind my entertainment system every time I want to watch a movie”. Fair enough, but where there is a problem- there is always a smart solution. I have my appliances grouped on power strips. Each power strip has one easy to reach switch that I set up when I got my appliances all in place. That way when I am not using the computer in the guest room, I flick a switch and I know that it is not using energy when I do not need it. I do the same in the kitchen in the morning when I need my pot of coffee or if I have to cook later in the day- I turn the switch on when I need it and off when I am done, just like how you turn off the lights when you leave a room.

When it comes to limiting energy drain (and improving electricity conservation), old appliances are much worse than newer ones, and of course Energy Star appliances are the best. Go ahead and test the electronic devices you have (get a Kill-A-Watt to test them). Your more energy efficient appliances might not really be an issue, even if they have a light or a remote control reception point. The only way to really know what is taking up the most energy in your home is to test what you have. When you have tested your electronic appliances’ power consumption, put power strips on the bigger consumers that you do not use all the time and flip the switch when they are not really needed. Yet again, you will be surprised at how much you save on your energy bill, and any electronic device on a power strip will also be protected from power surges. So you are not just limiting electricity consumption and improving your energy conservation, you are protecting your electronic equipment!

How to Conserve Electricity in the Winter

There is a natural energy source right above our heads- even in the winter time- and that is the sun. Of course not every winter day is sunny and bright, but on days where the sun does peek out, it can help you with conservation of electricity. By using the sun’s heat energy when you can, you will end up using your heater less and you can conserve electricity. If the sun does decide to show up, open your shades on that side of the house. Even a little light coming in will warm up the room a bit, especially if it falls on dark carpet or a rug.

If you are in an area that gets quite cold in the winter, it might be a good idea to invest in double- pane windows to save energy. Double pane windows conserve heat by trapping a layer of air in between the two sheets of glass. The air outside your window is cold, and so is the outside sheet of glass. But instead of having your indoor air right up against the cold glass pane, there is that in-between layer of air and a whole other sheet of glass separating the cold from your indoor air. This also helps to keep heat from leaving your house through the glass as well. The cost of getting double- pane windows will usually be offset by the savings on your heating bill in about 6 months to a year, so they pay for themselves essentially. There are also insulating drapes that you can buy and keep closed at night when it is the coldest outside. By keeping your heat in and the cold out, you will save on your energy bill.

Another good tip to warm up your house in the winter is to utilize the warm air from your dryer as a heat source. Of course you should not turn on your drier just to heat up the house- that would not help with conservation of electricity. But you can utilize the dryer’s energy twice if you are already using it for your clothes. Ever notice how all the hot air from your dryer is being put through a vent outside? Well there is an attachment that you can get that lets you choose if you want all that warm, nice- smelling air to go outside, or inside instead. It looks like a little plastic box with a flap you can open or close. It fits on your dryer hose and of course it has a little screen so you don’t get any dryer fuzz blowing into your house with the warm air. The attachment only costs a few dollars and you can get it at most hardware stores. You also might have to buy a longer (or another piece of) dryer hose so you can put the box up where you can reach it. You don’t want to have to crawl behind your dryer to open and close it.

How to Conserve Electricity in the Summer

Conservation of electricity can be aided in the summertime too. All you have to do to save energy is make your air conditioner work less, and more efficiently. Early in the morning, before the sun has really come up, open all the windows on the shady side of your house, and have fans blow the cool air inside. You can do this until it starts to warm up outside and then close your windows. This will keep the cool air inside and help your air conditioner get a head start.

Make sure to close your shades or drapes on the sunny side of your house during the day. If possible, hang up white drapes in the summer time, because white reflects light (heat energy), and most of the light hitting your drapes will be reflected back, thus not heating up your house. Also, if you are in a warmer area, buying dual-pane glass windows will help. They work the same as they do in the winter, except instead of keeping cold air out and warm air in, they can also conserve electricity by keeping warm air out and cool air in. Your air conditioner will not have to work as hard if the cool air it makes does not escape through the window glass.

You also want to be sure that you have a range hood that vents outside. Creating heat energy inside your house can be worse than loosing your cool air through a window. When you are cooking in the kitchen, you can end up making a lot of unwanted heat, and if your range hood does not vent that heat outside, you could end up warming your whole house from one meal. The best time to use your range is in the early morning or late at night (once it has cooled off outside and you have your windows open to bring in cool air). Make a big batch of food for later in the day or for the next day, so you will not have to cook again. Of course microwaves or outdoor grills are a better idea for cooking in the hot summer months, so avoid using your range during the hot daytime if at all possible to conserve energy.

Remember, the sun is an energy source. If you are smart, you can find ways to use all that sun to your advantage to help you with conservation of electricity in your home. If it is nice and sunny outside, use that sun to dry your clothes on a clothesline instead of in your drier. Plant some shady trees in your yard, in a few years time, the shade they make will really help keep your house cool. There are plenty of smart ways to conserve energy with the help of nature, or by limiting how hard your heater/ air conditioner has to work. Follow these simple tips to save on your electricity bill in any season.