Lower My Energy Bill

Energy Savings

While the price of energy is unpredictable and based on many factors, you can control the amount of energy you use each month by taking small steps that can lead to big savings.

Saving Energy Around the House

Seal the Leaks

• For a no-cost fix, roll up a bath towel and hold it against the bottom of the door with a weight.
• Use inexpensive weather-stripping and door sweeps to reduce air leaks around entry doors.
• Check the insulation levels in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors, and crawl spaces. More about home insulation…
• Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your home. Seal leaks with foam caulk or weather stripping.
• ​Often, large holes can be found in closets. Weather strip or temporarily seal access doors or hatches leading to unheated upper floors or attics.
• Close fireplace dampers when not in use.
• More leak sealing info...

Appliances

• Keep your refrigerator at 37°to 40°F and your freezer at 5°F.
• Vacuum the condenser coils (underneath or behind the unit) every three months or so.
• Reduce your refrigeration electricity usage by 40% by replacing a 12-year-old or older unit with a new one. An Energy Star^® unit will lower usage even more.
• Wash only full loads of dishes - but do not overload dishwasher.
• Avoid over-drying laundry and clean the lint filter every time you use it to decrease drying time.
• More appliance info...

Lighting

• Use energy-efficient light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in fixtures throughout your home to provide high-quality and high-efficiency lighting. LEDs are much more efficient than incandescent (standard) bulbs and last around 25 times longer. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy) 
• Controls such as timers and photocells save electricity by turning lights off when not in use.
• Dimmers save electricity when used to lower light levels. Be sure to select products that are compatible with your bulbs.
• When remodeling, look for recessed downlights, or "cans", that are rated for contact with insulation (IC rated).
• Outdoors, use LEDs, which thrive in outdoor environments because of their durability and performance in cold weather. Look for LED products such as pathway lights, step lights, and porch lights for outdoor use.
• More lighting tips...

Water Heating

• You can reduce your water heating costs by simply lowering the thermostat setting on your water heater to 120°F on the "low" setting. For each 10°F reduction in water temperature, you can save between 3 to 5% in energy costs.
• Unless your water heater's storage tank already has a high R-value of insulation (at least R-24), adding insulation to it can reduce standby heat losses by 25 to 45%. This will save you around 4 to 9% in water heating costs.
• Wash clothes in cold water and take shorter showers.
• Use the dishwasher rather than hand-washing dishes, and do not pre-rinse dishes.
• Insulating your hot water pipes reduces heat loss and can raise water temperature 2º to 4ºF hotter than uninsulated pipes can deliver, allowing for a lower water temperature setting. You also avoid waiting as long for hot water when you turn on a faucet or showerhead, which helps conserve water.
• More tips on efficient water heating...

Air Conditioning

• In the summer, set your programmable thermostat as high as is comfortable, and raise the setpoint when you are sleeping or away from home. The smaller the difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
• Avoid placing 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.

Unplug It

• Use power strips to minimize your plug load - the energy consumed by any electronic device that is plugged into a socket.
• Be cautious of what is plugged into your outlets. Appliances that are not in use are still drawing energy, costing you money. Small electronics and appliances like toasters, printers, cellphone chargers should be unplugged when not in use.