Stop the Drip:

Do you have any dripping faucets in your home? A single dripping hot water faucet can waste 212 gallons of water a month. That is a real drain on your electricity bill! Consider replacing the washer in your faucet to stop the drips and save money!

How About a Cup of Tea?

If you’re making a cup of tea (or coffee), save energy and money by only filling the kettle as much as you need! Rather than filling the kettle to the brim, which takes longer to boil and uses more energy, put in only the amount of water you need. This will save you energy and money—you can have your tea and drink it too!

CFL Lightbulbs:

We all know that CFL light bulbs are more energy efficient than the old incandescent bulbs. But do you realize how much you would save with Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs? CFLs last longer and use up to 75 percent less energy than standard light bulbs! Are all the light bulbs in your house CFLs?

Phantom Power:

Do you still have phantoms in your house? Phantom power that is! Electronics use energy even when plugged in—by plugging electronics into a power bar you can easily flip a switch to save some major energy in your house.

Cold Water Washing:

Keep your energy savings up and your water temperature down for an energy efficient load of laundry (And don’t forget to save your washing until you have a full load - your machine will run more efficiently with a full load than a half load!)

Turn Out the Lights:

This is one of the easiest and fastest ways to save energy! We all know this tip, but even the most dedicated energy savers can forget to do it from time to time. This goes for indoor lights, outdoor lights, oven lights and any other you can think of. When you’re not using it, even if you leave the room for just a few minutes, you’ll save energy and money by flicking the switch!

Power Down!

Video gaming systems use a surprising amount of energy when on ‘pause’. If you’re not actively playing, don’t forget to save your game and power off video games to save energy! If you’ve hooked up your electronics to a power bar, switch that off as well save on phantom energy.

Feeling HOT?

On hot summer days minimize activities that generate a lot of heat- like running a computer, TV and video games or using hot devices like hair dryers or curling irons. Instead, find a shady spot outside to relax! What do you do to keep it cool in the hot, humid summer?

Cool it Down!

Consider turning down the thermostat on your water heater to the “warm” setting . During these hot months, a short cool shower will leave you refreshed and will save you energy!

Window/Room Air Conditioner:

Do you have a window or room air conditioning unit? Here are some tips to help you save energy while keeping cool!

• Operate window/room air conditioning units on timers. They only require 30 minutes to cool and dehumidify a room, so there is no benefit to leaving them on if there’s no one at home
• When operating keep doors and windows closed to keep the hot humid air out of the house
• Shade windows to block the hot sun.
• Turn off lights and avoid using appliances that produce heat when the air conditioning unit is running.  Bake, wash, dry and iron in the early morning or in the evening.
• Remember the unit is intended to only cool and dehumidify a room, not an entire house. Use ceiling and floor fans to keep you cool in other areas of your home

Do you use a fan to help keep cool in the summer?

Remember to turn off the fan when you’re not home or in the room because fans cool people, not rooms!

Cooling down after a shower:

We all know that hot, humid feeling in the bathroom after a hot shower in the summer. Make sure you are using bathroom fans during and after showering to remove humidity and heat from the bathroom after a shower. The bathroom fan is a key way of controlling moisture in your home all year round, which can help reduce the potential for mold growth in your home.

Energy Efficient Lighting = Cooler home!

YES, there is another benefit to using energy efficient lighting in your home! Besides saving energy to run your lighting, energy efficient light bulbs also give off less heat, resulting in a cooler home in the summer J If you have yet, make the switch to energy efficient lighting!

Keep your drapes drawn:

And windows shut during the hot sunlight hours. Open your windows during the cooler times of the day and create a draft of cool air.

Avoid your Oven!

On hot summer days using your oven or stove top to cook food can add a lot of heat to your home. Avoid this extra heat by cooking quickly in the microwave or on an outdoor grill or fire. Give your stove and your pocket book a break: cook the traditional way outdoors. Prepare more meals that don't require cooking; or use the oven early in the morning when it is cooler.

Did you know...

...a clothes dryer is one of the biggest energy users in your house, after the refrigerator. ...hanging clothes to dry will save more energy than buying an energy-efficient dryer. Hang your clothes on an outside clothesline and you’ll not only save energy and money your clothes will smell wonderful too!

Dry Full Loads Only

This is more energy efficient than doing multiple smaller loads, or over-loading the machine.

Stay On It!

When you have more than one load to dry, as soon as one is finished empty the dryer and put in the next load. Thereby taking advantage of the heat generated with the previous load.

Lose the Lint

Don’t forget to clean your dryer’s lint trap after each use to reduce energy use of your dryer and to reduce risk of fire. - - A clogged lint filter can increase energy use up to 30%.

Similar Things Together

Separate loads into heavy, medium and lightweight items – lighter loads will take less drying time than a mixture of items. Make sure clothes are effectively wrung before putting them in the dryer.

Don't Block Baseboards

If you’re finding your home a little chilly this winter, check to see that the baseboard heaters are not blocked by furniture, carpets, or anything else. By allowing the heat to circulate freely from the heaters (instead of heating a bed mattress or dresser!!) each room will be much warmer. This also helps to avoid cold spots in corners where moisture can condense and mold grow. The simple action of moving the couch away from heater will make your home more comfortable, healthy and safe. Not to mention more energy efficient!

Time It

Use an outdoor timer for your vehicle’s block heater: “Now that old man winter is here, it’s a good time to use the outdoor timer distributed through the FNEI Conservation Program in 2010 to reduce your winter energy bill. Set the timer to run for no more than four hours before you need to leave in the morning. Plug in your car when you come home at night and the timer will turn on automatically a few hours before you need to start it, warming the engine for a warm start up and saving you energy by not running the block heater all night long.” Let us know if you are using your block heater timer to save energy overnight and we will enter your name twice in the moccasin draw for this month.

Use Shrink-wrap Window Film:

In October 2011 we were in your community giving away free packages of shrink-wrap window insulation. Install the shrink-wrap film on the inside of your windows, to reduce draft, moisture, and thereby save money on your energy bill! Did you install the shrink wrap window film we distributed at the Northern Store? Let us know how it has worked for you. Have you noticed a saving on your power bill,? Has your house been more comfortable?

Christmas Lights:

LED Lights use up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent Christmas lights. Over the Christmas season this will result in major energy savings, which will also save you money – 700 LED lights can run 6 hours per day for 30 days and cost approximately .50¢ versus incandescent lights which could cost up to $35 for the same amount of time! Use the outdoor timer you received from the FNEI Conservation Program for your Christmas lights to save even more money and energy!

Turn it Down:

Many households have their heating set higher than they need it, without even realizing it. Try turning your room thermostat down by one degree. Leave it for a day and if you still feel warm enough, try turning it down another degree. Carry on until it feels a bit too cool and then turn it back up one degree.

The Big THAW:

Do you have a major ice build up in your freezer? When ice builds up in your freezer it causes your freezer to use more energy. You should defrost your freezer regularly to keep it running efficiently. If ice build-up in your freezer is a common problem, check to make sure the door seals are strong and intact. While you’re at it check the refrigerator door seals as well since the fridge is one of the heaviest users of energy in your house it is important to keep a strong seal on the fridge door! Here’s an easy way to test your refrigerator seals: close the door on a piece of paper, if the paper is held snugly in place then the door is closing tightly. If the paper falls then the door needs adjusting or you need a new rubber seal.

Warm Air In, Cool Air Out:

It’s still a wee bit chilly outside! If you’ve got a woodstove, but are finding you’re not using it as much now that the weather is getting warmer, don’t forget to close the damper when it is not being used! If you keep the damper open cold air blows into your house costing you more energy and money!

Spring Cleaning:

When dust builds up on your refrigerator’s condenser coils, the motor works harder and uses more electricity. As part of your spring-cleaning routine, pull out your fridge and clean the coils, so air can circulate freely.

Saving Energy with Leftovers!

After you’ve enjoyed a nice home made dinner and you’re packing away your leftovers, let them cool down before putting them into the fridge. Putting warm food into your fridge makes your fridge work harder to cool that food down to the temperature of the fridge. Instead, save energy by keeping leftovers out until they have cooled to room temperature and then pop them in the fridge!

Break out the Clothes Line!

Now that the weather is warming, it’s a good time to start using the clothes line again! Even cooler days with a nice breeze will dry your clothes. There is nothing better than the smell of clean laundry that has been dried in the fresh air!

Energy and Video Games

Check out this article about the energy use of different video game consoles- it's American in focus but shares important information about how much energy video games use.

Energy.Gov

Check out this great website! This site is based in the US, but you’ll find lots of tips and advice for saving energy in your community!