All Year Long Conservation Tips
- Install a programmable thermostat. When used properly, it can shave $100 off your annual energy bills.
- Use compact fluorescent lights. They last up to 10-13 times longer than standard bulbs and use 75% less energy.
- Choose a high-efficiency water heater. An indirect oil-fired water heater produces an almost endless supply of hot water with a very fast recovery time.
- Keep your oven door closed! Every time you open the oven door, the oven temperature can drop 25 degrees. Use the oven light or a timer to avoid wasting energy.
- Wash clothes in the coolest water possible -- 80% of the cost to run your washer is used for heating the water.
- Install dimmers and motion sensors wherever possible.
- Take showers instead of baths. A five-minute shower will use about 7.5 gallons of hot water; filling a bathtub can use up to 20 gallons.
- Clean refrigerator coils once a year to extend the life of your fridge.
- Choose a high-efficiency dishwasher — they use 25% less energy than conventional models.
- Since your dryer retains heat, dry loads back-to-back.
