Family Room

Kitchen

Use a microwave or barbecue grill instead of the stove. Microwaves use 40 percent less electricity than a stove because they cook faster at a lower wattage. The monthly cost to use a stove one hour each day is about $4.60 compared to 98for electricity used by a microwave daily for 20 minutes.*

To retain heat, use lids to cover food while cooking and cook on medium or low heat settings. Also, use pans that match the size of the element.

Small cooking appliances are more economical than large appliances. A toaster, electric skillet, waffle iron, Crock Pot, or popcorn popper uses less energy than a stove.

Defrost foods before baking or cooking to save as much as 50 percent of the total cooking time.

Preheat the oven only when neces­sary and try not to open the oven door while food is cooking—each time the door is opened, the oven loses 20 percent of its heat.

The oven temperature can be low­ered by as much as 25 degrees by using glass or ceramic pans to bake.

Both refrigerators and freezers operate at peak efficiency when they are full. A secondary refrigerator or freezer can cost an additional $5 to $9 each month.*

Keep your refrigerator thermostat set­ting between 36 and 38 degrees F and the freezer between 0 and 5 degrees F.

Can you run an envelope through the refrigerator door frame when it is closed? If so, cool air is leaking. Door-lining gaskets should be re­placed if they become hard or lose their shape.

Keep external refrigerator and freezer coils free from dust and lint. A clean refrigeration system doesn't have to work as hard.

Open refrigerator and freezer doors as few times as you can. An average family opens their refrigerator door about 22 times a day!

When hand-washing dishes, avoid running hot water continuously. Use a sink stopper or dishpan to hold the water.

Make sure dishwashers are fully loaded. Dishwashers typically cost 18per Load in electricity.*

Use the "energy saver" setting on your dishwasher and air dry whenev­er possible. The heat-dry cycle alone uses 700 watts of electricity.

When purchasing a new refrigerator, freezer or dishwasher, consider the Energy Star® appliances which save more on electricity costs by using less power.

Bathroom

Bedroom

Laundry Room

Use warm or cold water settings on the clothes washer. Limit hot water use to heavily soiled clothes. Each load of laundry washed in cold water saves enough energy to power a tel­evision for up to 34 hours.

Wash and dry full loads of laundry. It costs an average of 18to wash a load of laundry. For a family of four, this cost could add up to nearly 45.50 a month.

Avoid over drying clothes in the dryer. Hanging laundry outside or on a rack can save energy. The cost to dry one load of clothes is about 27c. For a family of four, this could total $8 a month.*

Keep lint filters and vent hoses clean.

Den or Office

Turn off computers, printers, copiers and other office equipment when they are not being used. A computer or printer left on standby uses 100 watts. If a computer is left on all night, it may waste more power than the lights used all day. After shutting down the system, make sure the power is turned off. In "sleep" mode, the computer still uses 30 percent of the total power it uses when operating.

Use energy-efficient settings built into the Windows 2000® operating system. Refer to your manual to locate these settings that will turn off unused equipment.

Attic or Basement

Insulation

Warm air leaking into your home during the summer and out during the winter wastes energy. Caulk, seal and weather-strip all seams, cracks and openings to the outside.

Reduce drafts around windows by sealing the interior side with Visqueen (heavy plastic).

Proper insulation can increase the comfort of your home while reducing heating and cooling needs by up to 30 percent. Measure the insulation levels in your attic, ceilings, exterior walls, floors and crawl spaces. The higher R-value from increasing insu­lation results in more resistance to heat loss. Refer to Heating Zone Map.

When new windows or doors are needed, install storm doors and multipane windows with lower U-value ratings and be sure to look for an Energy Star® label.

Lighting

Turn off lights when not in use. Household lights alone can add up to $6 per month.*

Use compact fluorescent lightbulbs rather than incandescent bulbs. A compact fluorescent bulb uses one-fourth the energy that a regular incandescent bulb uses but gives off the same amount of light and lasts 10 times longer. In fact, you can save $23 if you choose to use one compact fluorescent lightbulb instead of 10 standard lightbulbs.

Choose lower-wattage bulbs for areas where less lighting is needed. A 100-Watt bulb uses more energy than a 60-watt or 45-watt bulb.

Clean light fixtures and dust off light­bulbs to maximize illumination. This may enable you to use fewer lights overall.

Heating & Cooling

Setting your thermostat lower in the winter and higher in the summer will save you 3 percent per degree on heating and cooling costs. (This does not apply to heat pump systems that require a steady temperature or special thermostat.)

During cold weather, open window drapes and blinds on sunny days. During hot weather, close them to keep out the suns rays.

When you are asleep or away from home, set your thermostat to 55 degrees in the winter and 82 degrees in the summer. Consider purchasing a programmable thermostat.

Rather than turning on the central air conditioner (at a cost of about $1.30 per clay), use a fan to circulate air and open windows, especially if the out­door temperature is cooler than inside.

When you turn on the air conditioner, don't turn the thermostat to the cold­est setting. The air in your home will not cool off any faster.

Service or tune up heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) equip­ment annually. Have your HVAC system serviced and adjusted by a professional maintenance technician.

Clean or replace furnace and A/C filters monthly—or sooner if you cannot see light through the filter. Clean, transparent filters make it easier for the HVAC system to work, keeping its performance level high.

Water Heaters

Outside the Home

Turn oil any outdoor lights that are not needed lor security purposes. Decorative yard lights ma)' use up to 70 Kilowatt hours per month, which equates to about $4.40.*

For greater efficiency, install timers, motion sensors or photoelectric (solar) cells to operate outdoor lights.

Plant trees or install awnings, screens or lattice grills to shade your home on hot days and protect it from cold winds on chill)' days. (Be sure to plant trees away from power lines.)

Eliminate outdoor circulation pumps lor ponds and waterfalls. A typical water circulation pump can cost 48c per da); or about $14.40 per month.* A one-Horsepower pump running 24 hours a day all month could cost $38.*