• Exterior lighting is one of the best places to use candescent florescent lamps because of their long life. If you live in a cold climate, be sure to buy a lamp with a cold-weather ballast.
• Turn off lights that are not needed, like in unused rooms.
• Replace incandescent light bulbs with new, energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights.
• Replace all bulbs with lowest acceptable wattages.
• Use timers or motion detectors on lamps that are used for security lighting.
• Use natural daylight as much as possible.
• When possible, use one large bulb rather than several smaller ones.
• Clean your light bulbs regularly, since dirt diffuses light, decreasing illumination.

• Keep your thermostat set at 78 degree Fahrenheit; or higher, and on "auto," not "on." Each degree can mean up to 9% savings on cooling costs.
• If your central or room air conditioner is more than 10 years old, it could be doubling your cooling costs.
• Use ceiling fans to circulate air. They use about as much electricity as a light bulb and can make you feel comfortable at higher thermostat settings. Oh, and do not forget to turn fans off when you leave the room.
• Clean or replace your air conditioner filter monthly so your A/C runs efficiently.
• Plan ahead! Schedule heat-producing activities like laundry, ironing, and cooking at cooler times of day when possible.
• Turn off lights when not needed, especially incandescent and halogen types.
• Be aware of temperatures! If it's cooler inside than outside, then close all windows and drapes. If it's cooler outside, open everything up to ventilate and let the outside air cool your house.
• Use drapes, shades, awnings and reflective materials to reduce the heat entering through glass.
• Use room exhaust fans in the kitchen, laundry and bathroom to pull hot, humid air up and out.
• Apply weather stripping and caulking around all doors and windows to keep the chilled air inside your house.
• Install a setback thermostat (Clock thermostat) that automatically switches your air conditioner to a higher cooling setting while you are away.

• Use your microwave oven in place of your range oven whenever possible.
• When you have to use your oven, cook more than one item at a time.
• Use flat-bottom pans for best contact with the heat, with tight-fitting lids to keep the steam in the pan.
• Clean or replace your air conditioner filter monthly so your A/C runs efficiently.
• Use smaller amounts of water for cooking; use the lowest possible heat to maintain boiling or steaming.
• Preheat oven only 5 to 8 minutes when baking; do not preheat oven for broiling or roasting.
• Self-cleaning ovens have thicker insulation and will retain heat, making these models more energyefficient than regular ovens.
• Use the self-cleaning feature on your oven only when absolutely needed.
• Pressure cookers use much less energy than ordinary pots and pans.
• Use small cooking appliances (electric fry pans, toaster ovens, etc.) whenever possible.

• Keep your refrigerator temperature at 38 degree Fahrenheit.
• Freezer temperature should be maintained at 10 degree Fahrenheit.
• Defrost your freezer when ice or frost buildup is 1/4" or thicker.
• Check your refrigerator/freezer door gasket periodically for signs of deterioration.
• Vacuum or brush the cooling coils (in back) at least every six months.
• Allow hot food to cool for no longer than a half hour before placing in refrigerator.

• 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 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 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 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 lights.

• In the winter, turn your thermostat down to 68 degrees or below. Reduce the setting to 55 degrees at the end of 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 all unnecessary lights, especially in unused offices and conference rooms and turn down remaining lighting levels where possible.
• Set computers, monitors, printers, copiers and other business equipment to their energy saving feature and turn them off at the end of the day.
• Minimize energy usage during peak demand hours from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Buy Energy Star appliances, products, and lights.
• Consider placing outdoor signs on a timer so they only run until 1:00 am, saving electricity during non-peak hours.

• Choose an energy monitor for your classroom every week who will make sure that energy is being used properly.
• At home, hold a ribbon up to the edges of windows and doors. If it blows, you've found a leak. Tell your parents.
• When you leave the room, turn off the light. Here are some more detailed tips to help you conserve energy.

• Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer.
• Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed.
• Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes.
• Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season; if in doubt about how to perform this task, call a professional.
• Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
• Use kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans wisely; in just 1 hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warmed or cooled air. Turn fans off as soon as they have done the job.
• During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows. During the cooling season, keep the window coverings closed during the day to prevent solar gain.
• During the heating season, close an unoccupied room that is isolated from the rest of the house, and turn down the thermostat or turn off the heating for that room or zone. However, do not turn the heating off if it adversely affects the rest of your system. For example, if you heat your house with a heat pump, do not close the vents-closing the vents could harm the heat pump.
• Select energy-efficient equipment when you buy new heating and cooling equipment. Your contractor should be able to give you energy fact sheets for different types, models, and designs to help you compare energy usage. Look for high Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) ratings and the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER). The national minimums are 78% AFUE and 10 SEER.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR® labels. ENERGY STAR® is a program of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designed to help consumers identify energy-efficient appliances and products.

• Check your ducts for air leaks. First look for sections that should be joined but have separated and then look for obvious holes.
• If you use duct tape to repair and seal your ducts, look for tape with the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) logo to avoid tape that degrades, cracks, and loses its bond with age.
• Remember that insulating ducts in the basement will make the basement colder. If both the ducts and the basement walls are uninsulated, consider insulating both.
• If your basement has been converted to a living area, install both supply and return registers in the basement rooms.
• Be sure a well-sealed vapor barrier exists on the outside of the insulation on cooling ducts to prevent moisture buildup.
• Get a professional to help you insulate and repair all ducts

• Do not set back the heat pump's thermostat manually if it causes the electric resistance heating to come on. This type of heating, which is often used as a backup to the heat pump, is more expensive.
• Clean or change filters once a month or as needed, and maintain the system according to manufacturer's instructions.

• Keep all south-facing glass clean.
• Make sure that objects do not block the sunlight shining on concrete slab floors or heat-absorbing walls.
• Consider using insulating curtains to reduce excessive heat loss from large windows at night.

• If you never use your fireplace, plug and seal the chimney flue.
• Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is going. Keeping the damper open is like keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter; it allows warm air to go right up the chimney.
• When you use the fireplace, reduce heat loss by opening dampers in the bottom of the firebox (if provided) or open the nearest window slightly-approximately 1 inch-and close doors leading into the room. Lower the thermostat setting to between 50 and 55 degrees F.
• Install tempered glass doors and a heat-air exchange system that blows warmed air back into the room.
• Check the seal on the flue damper and make it as snug as possible.
• Add caulking around the fireplace hearth.
• Use grates made of C-shaped metal tubes to draw cool room air into the fireplace and circulate warm air back into the house.

• Whole-house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. They are effective when operated at night and when the outside air is cooler than the inside air.
• Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
• Don't set your thermostat at a colder setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and unnecessary expense.
• Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
• Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
• Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.

• Consider factors such as your climate, building design, and budget when selecting insulation for your home.
• Use higher density insulation, such as rigid foam boards, in cathedral ceilings and on exterior walls.
• Ventilation plays a large role in providing moisture control and reducing summer cooling bills. Attic vents can be installed along the entire ceiling cavity to help ensure proper airflow from the soffit to the attic, helping to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient.
• Recessed light fixtures can be a major source of heat loss, but you need to be careful how close you place insulation next to a fixture unless it is marked. "I.C."-designed for direct insulation contact. Check your local building codes for recommendations.
• When installing insulation, follow the product instructions on installation and wear the proper protective gear.

• First, test your home for air tightness. On a windy day, hold a lit incense stick next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weatherstripping.
• Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.
• Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets.
• Install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.
• Look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicate holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking the edges of the plastic.
• Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them with double-pane windows. Storm windows as much as double the R-value of single-pane windows and they can help reduce drafts, water condensation, and frost formation. As a less costly and less permanent alternative, you can use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames during the cold winter months. Remember, the plastic must be sealed tightly to the frame to help reduce infiltration.
• When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes-24 hours a day!
• For new construction, reduce exterior wall leaks by either installing house wrap, taping the joints of exterior sheathing.

• Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period.
• Insulate your electric hot-water storage tank and pipes, but be careful not to cover the thermostat.
• Insulate your gas or oil hot-water storage tank and pipes, but be careful not to cover the water heater's top, bottom, thermostat, or burner compartment; when in doubt, get professional help.
• Install nonaerating low-flow faucets and showerheads.
• Buy a new water heater. While it may cost more initially than a standard water heater, the energy savings will continue during the lifetime of the appliance.
• Although most water heaters last 10 to 15 years, it's best to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Doing some research before your heater fails will enable you to select one that most appropriately meets your needs.
• Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 115 degrees F provides comfortably hot water for most uses.
• Drain a quart of water from your water tank every 3 months to remove the sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your heater. The type of water tank you have determines the steps to take, so follow the manufacturer's advice.
• If you heat with electricity and live in a warm and sunny climate, consider installing a solar water heater. The solar units are environmentally friendly and can now be installed on your roof to blend with the architecture of your house.
• Take more showers than baths. Bathing uses the most hot water in the average household. You use 15 to 25 gallons of hot water for a bath, but less than 10 gallons during a 5-minute shower.
• Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home, typically accounting for about 14% of your utility bill. Shorter showers, more efficient showerheads and lowering the thermostat on your water heater can help to decrease this expense.
• Consider the installation of a drain water waste heat recovery system.

• Install exterior or interior storm windows; storm windows can reduce heat loss through your windows by 25% to 50%. Storm windows should have weatherstripping at all moveable joints; be made of strong, durable materials; and have interlocking or overlapping joints. Low-e storm windows save even more energy.
• Repair and weatherize your current storm windows, if necessary.
• You can save 10% or more on your energy bill just by reducing the air leaks in your home.
• Install tight-fitting, insulating window shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing.
• Close your curtains and shades at night; open them during the day.
• Keep windows on the south side of your house clean to maximize solar gain. Back to the top Warm-Climate Window Tips
• Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house.
• Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day.
• Install awnings on south- and west-facing windows.
• Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows. Back to the top Tips when shopping for windows
• When you're shopping for new windows, look for the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) label; it means that the windows are performance certified.
• Remember, the lower the U-value, the better the insulation. In colder climates, a U-value of 0.35 or below is recommended. These windows have at least double glazing and low-e coating.
• In warm climates, where summertime heat gain is the main concern, look for windows with double glazing and spectrally selective coatings that reduce heat gain.
• Select windows with air leakage ratings of 0.3 cubic feet per minute or less.
• In temperate climates with both heating and cooling seasons, select windows with both low Uvalues and low solar heat gain coefficiency (SHGC) to maximize energy benefits.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR® and EnergyGuide labels. Back to the top Landscaping Tips (Dependent on Geographic Area)
• Trees that lose their leaves in the fall (i.e., deciduous) are the most effective at reducing heating and cooling energy costs. When selectively placed around a house, they provide excellent protection from the summer sun but permit winter sunlight to reach and warm your house. The height, growth rate, branch spread, and shape are all factors to consider in choosing a tree.
• Vines provide shading and cooling. Grown on trellises, vines can shade windows or the whole side of a house.
• Deflect winter winds by planting evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and west sides of your house; deflect summer winds by planting on the south and west sides of your house.

Turn off the lights in any room you are not using and consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.

Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. For example, use fluorescent under-cabinet lighting for kitchen sinks and countertops under cabinets.

Consider three-way lamps. They make it easier to keep lighting levels low when bright light is not necessary.

Use 4-foot fluorescent fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts for your workroom, garage, and laundry areas.

Consider using 4-watt mini-fluorescent or electro-luminescent night lights. Both lights are much more efficient than their incandescent counterparts, and the luminescent lights are cool to the touch.

These compact fluorescent bulbs are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same lighting. Use CFLs in all the portable table and floor lamps in your home. Carefully consider the size and fit of these systems when you select them. Some home fixtures may not accommodate some of the larger CFLs.

When shopping for new light fixtures, consider buying dedicated compact fluorescent fixtures with built-in ballasts that use pin-based replacement bulbs.

For spot lighting, consider CFLs with reflectors. The lamps range in wattage from 13-watt to 32-watt and provide a very directed light using a reflector and lens system.

Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.

If you have torchiere fixtures with halogen lamps, consider replacing them with compact fluorescent torchieres. Compact fluorescent torchieres use 60% to 80% less energy and can produce more light (lumens) than the halogen torchieres.

Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) cost more initially, but users save money in the long run.

According to Energy Star, just one of these bulbs can save $30 or more in electricity costs during its lifetime and prevent more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. They also last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs. Purchasing CFLs is a simple step all consumers can take to use energy more efficiently. The bulbs can be purchased in area retail or home-improvement stores. Here are five facts about energy-efficient lighting:

• Lighting accounts for 20 percent of the average home’s electric bill and is one of the easiest places to save energy.
• Energy-efficient light bulbs, such as compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), use two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs.
• To get the most energy savings, replace bulbs where lights are on the most, such as your family and living room, kitchen, dining room, and porch.
• Place CFLs in open fixtures that allow air flow. If replacing a bulb operating on a dimmer switch, look for CFLs specifically designed for this use.
• To choose the Energy Star-qualified light bulb or fixture with the right amount of light, choose one that offers the same lumen rating as the light you’re replacing. Manufacturers will often label their packaging in terms of watt replacement, which can also guide your decision-making.

Electric Cooperative wants to work in tandem with our member-consumers to make energy management one of our highest priorities. That’s what cooperation is all about.

Use outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a timer so they will turn off during the day.

Turn off decorative outdoor gas lamps. Just eight gas lamps, burning year round, use as much natural gas as it takes to heat an average-size home during an entire winter.

Exterior lighting is one of the best places to use CFLs because of their long life. If you live in a cold climate, be sure to buy a lamp with a cold-weather ballast.

• Check the manual that came with your dishwasher for the manufacturer's recommendations on water temperature; many have internal heating elements that allow you to set the water heater to a lower temperature.
• Scrape off, don't rinse off, large food pieces and bones. Soaking or prewashing is generally only recommended in cases of burned-on or dried-on food.
• Be sure your dishwasher is full, but not overloaded.
• Don't use the "rinse hold" function on your machine for just a few soiled dishes. It uses 3 to 7 gallons of hot water each time you use it.
• Let your dishes air dry. If you don't have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will dry faster.

• Look for a refrigerator with automatic moisture control. Models with this feature have been engineered to prevent moisture accumulation on the cabinet exterior without the addition of a heater. This is not the same thing as an "anti-sweat" heater. Models with an anti-sweat heater will consume 5% to 10% more energy than models without this feature.
• Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37 to 40 degrees F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 5 degrees F for the freezer section. If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, it should be kept at 0 degrees F.
• To check the refrigerator temperature, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the center of the refrigerator. Read it after 24 hours. To check the freezer temperature, place a thermometer between frozen packages. Read it after 24 hours.
• Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers. Frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the motor running. Don't allow frost to build up more than one-quarter of an inch.
• Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a piece of paper or a dollar bill so that the paper or bill is half in and half out of the refrigerator. If you can pull the paper or bill out easily, the latch may need adjustment or the seal may need replacing.
• Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
• Move your refrigerator away from the wall and vacuum the condenser coils once a year unless you have a no-clean condenser model. Your refrigerator will run for shorter periods with clean coils.

• Be sure to place the faucet lever on the kitchen sink in the cold position when using small amounts of water. Placing the lever in the hot position uses energy to heat the water even though it never reaches the faucet.
• If you need to purchase a gas oven or range, look for one with an automatic, electric ignition system. An electric ignition saves gas because a pilot light is not burning continuously.
• In gas appliances, look for blue flames. Yellow flames indicate the gas is burning inefficiently and an adjustment may be needed. Consult your manufacturer or your local utility.
• Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean. They will reflect the heat better, and you will save energy.
• Use a covered kettle or pan to boil water. It is faster and it uses less energy.
• Match the size of the pan to the size of the heating element.
• If you cook with electricity, turn the stovetop burners off several minutes before the allotted cooking time. The heating element will stay hot long enough to finish the cooking without using more electricity. The same principle applies to oven cooking.
• Use small electric pans or toaster ovens for small meals rather than your large stove or oven. A toaster oven uses a third to half as much energy as a full-sized oven.
• Use pressure cookers and microwave ovens whenever it is convenient to do so. They can save energy by significantly reducing cooking time.

• Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.
• Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
• Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
• Don't over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.
• Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
• Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
• Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire. Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting material, not plastic vents that may collapse and cause blockages.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR® and EnergyGuide labels