Free and Low Cost Ways to Save Energy

Free Recommendations:

Save Water

• Installing faucet aerators and low-flow shower heads will cut water heating costs by 50% and save up to $300 per year. It will also cut water use by up to 50%.

Adjust Your Water Heater

• Turn your water heater down to 120° or the "Normal" setting when home, and to the lowest setting when away. Water heating accounts for about 13% of home energy costs.

Be Smart About Lighting

• Turn off unnecessary lighting and use task or desktop lamps with CFLs instead of overhead lights.

Power Down Your Computer

• Enable "power management" on all computers and make sure to turn them off at night. A laptop computer uses up to 90% less energy than bigger desktop models.

Wash Clothes in Cold Water

• When possible, wash clothes in cold water. About 90% of the energy used in a clothes washer goes to water heating.

Find and Seal Leaks

• Sealing cracks, gaps, leaks and adding insulation can save up to 20% on home heating and cooling costs.

• Test for air leaks by holding a lit incense stick next to 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 weather stripping.

Good Investment Recommendations:

Programmable Thermostat

• Install an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat - It can save up to $100 per year in coastal areas and over $150 inland and pays for itself in less than 12 months. Make sure to install it away from natural cool and hot spots.

Seal Your Ducts

• Have your heating and cooling ducts professionally sealed to save up to $190 per year.

Seal Your Home

• Seal your home's envelope - walls, floor, ceiling and roof - to save up to 10% on your annual energy bill:
• Add weather stripping around windows and doors to reduce drafts.
• Use caulking to seal around ducts, plumbing and any other openings in walls, floors and ceilings to reduce air leakage. Begin in the attic, a common place for warm air to escape.
• Seal larger gaps that cannot be covered with caulk or with expanding foam.

Insulate, Insulate, Insulate

• After air sealing, determine the current level of insulation. In the attic, measure the depth of existing insulation using a ruler. If there is less than R-22 (7 inches of fiber glass or rock wool or 6 inches of cellulose) you could probably benefit by adding more. Most U.S. homes should have between R-22 and R-49 insulation in the attic. Insulating ceilings, walls, attics, floors, crawl spaces and basements to recommended standards can reduce heating and cooling costs by 5% to 25%.

Upgrade Your Heating System

• Replace heating equipment more than 15 years old with new ENERGY STAR qualified models. Equipment must be sized and installed properly.
• Old furnaces cost more to operate per year than new, ENERGY STAR rated models that are 15% more efficient than standard models.
• An ENERGY STAR rated electric heat pump is 20% more efficient and can save you about $130 annually.
• An ENERGY STAR rated boiler uses features like electric ignition and new combustion technologies that extract more heat from the same amount of fuel.
  

Windows

• Install high efficiency windows, which are 40% more efficient than standard windows. Consider replacing single-pane windows with double-pane windows that are gas-filled with high performance glass (e.g., low emissivity or "low-e" glass). ENERGY STAR qualified windows may help reduce your heating and cooling costs by up to 15%. The windows must be sized and installed properly.