Get it Online: Complete our home energy assessment.
Complete our home energy assessment. Compare your energy use to similar homes in your area and see where your home uses the most energy.
Roll it Out: Make sure your home has adequate insulation.
Make sure your home has adequate insulation. This includes the attic, exterior walls, floors, basement and crawl spaces. In unheated areas, be sure to insulate around furnace ducts or boiler pipes.
Buy it Right: Install ENERGY STAR®
lighting/appliances.
Install ENERGY STAR® lighting and appliances in your home. ENERGY STAR light bulbs use 75 percent less energy and last up to 25 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs.
Seal it Up: Use weather stripping/caulk to seal air leaks.
Use weather stripping and caulk to seal air leaks and block drafts, even in the basement and attic, around doors, windows, chimneys, electrical outlets and other potential areas for air leakage.
Set it Smart: Save with a programmable thermostat.
Keep your thermostat at 68 degrees or lower in the winter and 78 degrees or higher in the summer to save some green. You also can save with a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts the temperature when you’re asleep or away.
Wrap it Up: Use window wrap kits heat loss.
Put clear plastic sheets over the inside or outside of your windows to reduce heat loss and increase comfort. Window wrap kits, available at your hardware or home store, are an ideal choice for the job.
Let it Shine: Let the sun shine in on cold days.
Keep draperies, shades and blinds open on sunny winter days, especially with windows on the south side of your home, and closed on hot and sunny summer days. Closed drapes also double as insulators.
Turn it Off: Save by turning off and unplugging appliances.
When plugged in, many appliances and chargers use electricity whether they’re on or not. This wasted power is called phantom load. Save some green by turning off and unplugging what you can, possibly reducing your home’s phantom load by as much as one third
Keep it Clear: Keep air registers and radiators clear.
Make sure your air registers and radiators aren’t being blocked by furniture, rugs, drapes or other objects in your home. In addition, be sure to dust or vacuum registers or radiators on a regular basis.
Keep it Up: Service your heating system once a year.
Have your heating system serviced once a year so it runs properly and efficiently. Change your furnace filters regularly since dirty filters make the system work harder and use more energy than necessary.