Save Your Money, Save the Enviroment
Saving your money and helping the environment – it's a win/win situation! Following these simple tips to improve your home energy efficiency and save water will not only benefit our environment, but it will also reduce your overall expenses.
Increase Your Home Energy Efficiency - Here are some helpful hints!
- add more ceiling insulation
- check door and window weather stripping
- choose new appliances which are rated as energy-efficient
- save up to 25% of home heating costs by installing an energy efficient furnace
- use energy efficient light bulbs when replacing those that burn out
- clean or replace air conditioning and furnace air filters regularly
- ensure the on/off cycle on your refrigerator is working properly
- check the door seal on your fridge to ensure it is intact all the way around
- choose a kettle rather than the microwave when heating small amounts of water
- defrost your freezer regularly (before the ice is thicker than your baby finger)
- launder your clothes in cold water whenever possible
- smaller loads in your dryer are more energy efficient than overfilling it
- decrease the temperature on your water heater by a few degrees
Tips to Conserve Water, Both Inside and Outside of Your Home:
- replace the washers in the faucets of your home A leaky faucet can waste 5,000 gallons of water per year, and 1,500 gallons can be wasted by a leaky toilet. It may not be obvious that you are experiencing leaks in your home. To check, read the water meter before and after a 2 hour period when not using any water sources. A change in the reading indicates that you have a leak.
- turn water on and off when brushing your teeth or shaving
- take a shower instead of a bath
- install a low-flow shower head
- make sure the flapper ball sits properly in the toilet tank
- soak dirty dishes in the sink instead of rinsing under the faucet
- water your yard at cooler times of the day to reduce evaporation
- target your watering more effectively by using a soaker hose rather than a sprinkler
- placing mulch around plants reduces the need for watering
- cut your grass to approximately 3 inches so it will grow longer roots and need less water