Ways to Save Energy

Saving Energy with a Vehicle

Alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles can contribute to major energy savings. If your budget doesn't allow for a new car, keep your current vehicle and consider these energy savings tips:

• Keep your car engine tuned to improve gas mileage by four percent. Finding and fixing a major problem such as a faulty oxygen sensor can improve mileage by as much as 40 percent.
• Keep tires inflated to the proper pressure. Properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage by over three percent.
• Drive consistently without speeding, quick acceleration and sudden braking. You can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and five percent around town.
• Replace air filters to save up to 10 percent on gas mileage and to protect your engine.

Energy Efficient Homes

Your home can be a lot more energy efficient if you concentrate on replacing energy hogs with more efficient equipment. Leaky windows, poor insulation, old water heaters and inefficient heating systems waste a lot of energy.

Replacing energy hogs in your home can be expensive. The costs, however, can be offset by the energy savings. For example:

• An energy audit can tell you where you need more insulation and where air is leaking in and out of your home. With this information you can prioritize where you need to spend your money first.
• Replacing your current heater and air conditioner with new energy-efficient units will reduce your monthly utility bill. Heating and cooling equipment uses about 56 percent of your total home energy usage.
• A solar-heated water heater can reduce your water heating energy bills by 50 to 80 percent.

Ten Quick Ways to Save Energy in your Home

You don't have to start a major home remodeling project in order to save energy. Here are ten quick actions that will help you save energy:

1. Install a programmable thermostat on your heater and air conditioner. Turning off the heat or air while you are sleeping or away from the home can result in a 10 to 20 percent energy savings.
2. Close the curtains and blinds to control the room's temperature. Close them at night during the winter to keep out the cold air. In the summer, be sure to close them during the day to keep the hot sun from warming the room.
3. Plant a tree. Adding a leafy shade tree on the south or west side of your home can significantly reduce your cooling costs.
4. Stop leaks under exterior doors. Don't let the outside air in under exterior doors. Replace the threshold or block the drafts with a rolled-up towel.
5. Lower the setting on the water heater. Set the temperature at 120 degrees, which is about halfway between low and medium.
6. Close the fireplace damper when you are not using the fireplace. Don't let your heated or cooled room air escape up the chimney.
7. Vacuum the refrigerator coils. The compressor will run more efficiently if you vacuum the coils twice a year.
8. Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes. You'll save water and energy.
9. Clean the link screen on the dryer and the filter on the heater. Your dryer and heater will run more efficiently and use less energy.
10. Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. These energy-saving bulbs use up to 75 percent less energy than incandescent light bulbs.

For More Energy-Saving Tips

• U.S. Department of Energy
• Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings
• Complete Guide to Reducing Energy Costs
• Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings: All New Listings of the Most Efficient Products You Can Buy
• Energy Saving Home Improvements from A to Z
• Auto Upkeep: Basic Car Care