Conserve at Home
Here are some simple ways you can continue to surf the Green Wave at home:
- In the winter, turn your thermostats down to 68 degrees or below. Reduce the setting to 55 degrees before going to sleep or when leaving for the day. (For each 1 degree you turn down the thermostat in the winter, you’ll save up to 5% on your heating costs.)
- Turn off and un-plug non-essential lights and appliances. The electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars!
- Avoid running large appliances such as washers, dryers, and electric ovens during peak energy demand hours from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Close shades and blinds at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows. This also applies during the day for warm climates.
- Buy Energy Star appliances, products and light.
- A freezer's efficiency is increased by keeping its compartment full. Be careful not to block the fan that allows cold air to circulate.
- A microwave oven is an energy efficient alternative to a conventional oven. It cooks food more quickly and it uses 70-80% less electricity than a regular oven.
- A lot of energy can be saved by matching as closely as possible light bulb wattage to lighting needs.
- Washing dishes by hand may not save energy or money. In fact, you can probably save energy using the dishwasher since hand-washing usually requires more hot water.
- Close off rooms that you don't use very often. That way the warm air will stay where you need it most.