Simple Ways to Save

Where does your energy dollar go? For every $1 spent on home energy, the typical family spends:

  • 45¢ for home heating
  • 30¢ for water heating
  • 15¢ for appliances (refrigerator, freezer, clothes washer and dryer)
  • 10¢ for lighting, cooking, entertainment, and other miscellaneous energy uses

Find out how to save energy in all areas of your home with the tips below.

Check Those Thermostats

Set your thermostat at 68 degrees or lower for comfort and savings.

  • Use the lowest setting at which you feel comfortable.
  • Leave it alone once you’ve set it—constantly adjusting it costs you money.
  • Older thermostats are often inaccurate. Place a thermometer next to your thermostat to help you set it correctly.
  • If you feel chilly, wear another layer before turning up the thermostat.

At bedtime or when you’re away from home, set your thermostat to 55 degrees.

  • Turn the temperature down when you leave the house for over an hour.
  • A higher temperature won’t warm the house faster—it wastes energy.
  • For every one degree you lower your thermostat, you’ll save about three percent on your heating costs.
  • Replace standard thermostats with heat-anticipating or electronic thermostats. Their accuracy is much greater, and they’ll save on your heating bill while increasing your comfort level.
  • Install automatic setback thermostats. They’ll remember to turn the heat down at night, even if you forget, and they’ll turn it back on in the morning, so your home will be nice and warm when you wake up.
Don't Slow the Flow

Dirty furnace filters or baseboard heating elements waste heat by blocking the airflow.

  • Be sure to clean or replace the air filters in your furnace every three months during the heating season. (Put a note on your calendar to remind yourself.) And remember that some forced air heating systems have two or more filters.
  • Move furniture at least one foot away from heat registers or baseboard heaters.
  • Don’t block heat registers, baseboard heaters, or radiators with drapes and curtains.
  • Don’t close off registers on heat pumps.

Baseboard Heaters

  • Carefully remove the covers from electric baseboard heaters and vacuum dust and dirt from the fins. Make sure to replace the covers securely.

Fan-Forced Wall Heaters

  • Remove grills and wash them in hot, soapy water, then dry. Vacuum off blower wheels only. Don’t attempt to vacuum the heating element. Instead, blow dust off the element with the blower side of the vacuum.
Help Your Windows Keep You Warm

Low-cost improvements to your windows will help keep you warmer.

  • Open the curtains on south-facing windows during the day.
  • Close curtains, drapes, and shades at night.
  • Caulk around the window and door frames from the inside.
  • Tape over pulley holes of double-hung windows.

Install low-cost storm windows for added comfort.

  • Channel-lock plastic storm windows can be reused.
  • Use a hair dryer to give shrink-fit plastic storm windows a tight fit.
  • Make your own outside storm windows with clear vinyl and wooden frames.

Upgrade your windows for even greater efficiency.

  • Replace single-pane windows with double-pane or even triple-pane windows.
  • Look for other energy-saving features in new windows, such as vinyl frames, argon gas between panes, and “low-E” coatings.
Don't Pay to Heat the Outdoors

Keep the warm air in and cold air out.

  • Close fireplace damper or glass doors when not in use. (Make sure your fire is entirely out!)
  • Replace or cover missing or broken windows, and seal any holes in walls, ceiling, or floor.
  • Weatherstrip around windows, doors, and attic access.
  • Seal leaks in heating ducts and insulate to an R-8 level. Make repairs using mastic and high-quality duct tape.

Stop cold drafts for greater comfort.

  • Use V-weatherstripping for the door top and sides.
  • For the door bottom, replace the missing gasket or install a door sweep.
  • Seal electrical outlets on exterior walls by installing inexpensive gaskets available at most building supply stores.
  • Use rope caulking or V-weatherstripping for windows.
  • Seal holes around plumbing pipes in walls and floor with caulking compound or expanding foam spray.

If your home has indoor moisture problems during the winter, such as mold, mildew, or condensation, reduce the sources of indoor moisture before sealing air leaks. Check for blocked gutters and downspouts and wet crawlspaces and basements. If available, use bathroom and kitchen fans.

Water Heating

The electric water heater is the second largest energy user in most homes. Reducing hot water use is a great way to save on energy costs.

  • Set your water heater thermostats to 120 degrees. (Turn off the electricity at the breaker box, remove the top and bottom cover plates on the side of the heater, adjust both thermostats to 120 degrees, replace covers, and turn the power back on.)
  • When replacing your water heater, get one with an energy factor of .93 or higher.
  • A heat pump water heater is another option when replacing your old one. Heat pump water heaters use warmth from the air to heat water and use much less energy than a standard water heater. You may benefit from a heat pump water heater if you have a family of four or use large quantities of hot water.
  • Sediment buildup in the hot water tank reduces efficiency. Flush the sediment monthly by drawing several buckets of water from the bottom tank drain valve. (Be sure to disconnect the water heater at the circuit breaker before starting this job, and remember to turn it back on when you’re finished.)
  • If you are away from home for three days or more, turn off the water heater at the breaker.
  • Insulate hot and cold water pipes. This will save lost heating energy and protect your pipes from freezing.
  • Use cold water whenever possible to do regular household cleaning
Use Less Water

Not all showerheads are the same.

  • Low-flow showerheads use less than half the water of ordinary showerheads.
  • Low-flow showerheads provide adequate water, even if your home has low water pressure.
  • You won’t run out of hot water as often.
  • New showerheads are very easy to install.

Don’t fill the tub all the way.

  • A standard-sized tub uses about five gallons of water.

Fix leaky faucets.

  • A steady drip of hot water can cost $5 per month.

And speaking of sinks…

  • Install faucet aerators in the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Look for those with a low-flow rating of 2 gallons per minute (gpm).
In the Laundry

Energy for hot water to wash clothes costs about 15¢ per load.

Wash clothes in warm or cold water, and rinse in cold water.

  • Follow the recommendation on the fabric care label—warm or cold wash is usually fine.
  • Measure detergent. Dissolve powder soaps first, or use liquid detergent.
  • Wash full loads or use specific water level settings.
  • Don’t overload your washer—clothes won’t get clean in an overloaded washer.
Dry Clothes Efficiently, Too

Electric clothes drying costs about 27¢ per load.

  • Hang clothes on an outside line or porch.
  • Dry your clothes all at once. Stop-and-start drying wastes energy, warming your dryer up each time you begin.
  • Clean the lint filter before every use, and remember to check the vent hose.
  • Don’t overload the dryer.
  • Sort loads into fast and slow-drying items.
Refrigerators / Freezers

Energy for your refrigerator costs about $4 to $8 per month.

  • Set your refrigerator to 38 or 40 degrees and your freezer from -5 to +5 degrees. Check the temperature with a thermometer placed between food packages.
  • Check door gaskets periodically for signs of deterioration. Close the door on a small piece of paper. If the paper pulls out easily, the gasket should be replaced.
  • Defrost when ice or frost buildup is 1/4 inch or more. Heavy layers of frost make the motor work harder. Ice buildup in a frost-free refrigerator usually means an air leak, and the door gasket may need replacing.
  • Vacuum the coils on the back or underneath your refrigerator or freezer. A buildup of dust on the coils seriously reduces efficiency.
  • Allow heated foods to cool down for at least an hour before placing them in the refrigerator. There’s no risk of spoilage, and your refrigerator won’t have to work so hard.

If you have a second refrigerator or freezer, consider removing it. If it’s not being used to full capacity, you’re wasting a lot of energy.

Other Ways to Save

Lighting

  • Replace incandescent and fluorescent fixtures with LEDs. An LED lamp is four times more efficient.
  • Use 40- or 60-watt bulbs in closets or hallways. Replace all bulbs with lower wattages wherever possible.
  • Use timers on lamps used for security or vacation lighting.

Appliances

  • When buying new appliances, check the energy guide label to find the operating cost.

Cooking

  • Try to arrange meals so you can cook more than one thing at a time in your oven.
  • Cover pans when cooking—foods cook faster, and your kitchen stays cooler. Don’t even boil water in an open pan.
  • Use electric fry pans, toaster ovens, or microwave ovens instead of the oven or range whenever possible.

Ask Us!

  • Central Lincoln offers many energy-saving tips and rebates. For more information, please call our Energy Efficiency Hotline at 888–883–9879.