There are lots of ways to conserve power at your home. Below are just a few tips, with links to some great resources!
- Set the temperature. Make sure your thermostat is set to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 or higher in the summer. Use fans in the summer to keep air circulating.
- Flip the switch. Make sure you turn lights off in rooms when you aren’t in them and use natural light as much as possible.
- Seal it up. Make sure windows and doors aren’t leaking air, and seal them up if you find a leak.
- Unplug it. Unplug appliances like TVs and computers when they aren’t in use.
- Check the flow. Make sure HVAC vents are free from obstructions. Have your central heating and air units checked annually.
- Switch the bulb. Replace your standard lights with CFLs. As a general rule CFL’s cost about 75% less to operate and last about 10 times longer.
- Consider installing switch plate occupancy sensors in proper locations to automatically turn off lighting when no one is present and back on when people return.
- Consider upgrading to T8 (1″ diameter) fluorescent lamp tubes with solid-state electronic ballasts that are more efficient than older T12 (1.5″ diameter) tubes with magnetic ballasts.