These are our first 50 of our 100 tips
1. It begins with your commitment. If you want to save energy, you have to be committed enough in doing the necessary things for it. Without your commitment, you may not become mindful of you actions, which can directly or indirectly affect your overall energy consumption. Thus, you have to be committed, so that you can see results on it.
2. Make it a practice to turn off the lights in your room. Lots of people today leave their bedrooms without turning the lights off. Although lights do not consume much electricity, lots of energy would be wasted if you constantly left them turned on for the most parts of the day, even if you are not inside the room. Thus, make it a practice to turn off the lights, so that you can save energy.
3. Replace your filters regularly. Most heating and cooling equipment require clean filters, in order for them to run clean. The filters can also help them in becoming more energy efficient. With that, replacing your filters regularly can help you save a lot in terms of energy consumption. Ask your technician about it, so that you would know when is the best time to do so.
4. Dirty coils make your appliances consume more electricity. Refrigerator coils can get dirty over a certain period of time. In most cases, they can accumulate a lot of dirt within the six month period; and, when that happens, the dirty coil would make your refrigerator work harder in order to achieve its desired temperature. Thus, it is best if you practice cleaning and vacuuming your refrigerator coils every six months or so, so that you won’t have to endure higher electricity bills.
5. Close the windows. Whether you need to achieve lower or higher temperature inside your house, it is best if you close your windows. This is because, open windows would make your cooling or heating equipment require more energy to serve you better. When you close the windows, your equipment would not work too hard, which means it can help you save energy.
6. Do not forget the timer. When you sleep at night and you are using your air-conditioning system to make your room temperature cooler, it is a good idea to make use of its timer. The timer would ensure that your AC would be turned off in time. Aside from that, if you won’t use the timer, you may get tempted to extend its usage, especially when you don’t feel like going out of your bed yet.
7. Make use of solar energy. There are lots of DIY solar panels that you can make use for your home today. One of the best things about this new technology is that, you no longer have to pay high electricity bills with them. All you have to do is to have someone install it properly, and you should be good to go.
8. Dry your clothes the natural way. One of the best ways to conserve energy is to dry your clothes naturally. If you are going to use your washing machine’s dryer for them, then you would be consuming lots of energy. Just hang the clothes outside, and let the sun dry it so that you can save more energy.
9. Unplug all unused appliances and electronic devices. You need to keep in mind that many appliances and other electronic devices consume electricity when they are plugged into the socket, even when they are turned off. Thus, the moment that you turn them off, you should ensure that they are unplugged. If it is a hassle for you to do, then just do it just before going to bed.
10. Your computer monitor. If your computer’s monitor is still the large type, or the CRT, then it is time to replace it. CRT screens actually consume more energy than the LCD types. Thus, it is time to make use of the newer computer screens. Aside from consuming lesser amounts of energy with them, it also improves your whole experience in using your desktop PC.
11. Open up your windows during summer. Summer heat can be hard to beat, which is why it is best to come up with ways to get around it without consuming lots of energy. Open up your windows during summer time, so that you can let fresh air go in and out of the house. This is effective, especially if your house is surrounded with trees.
12. In going for a vacation. When you go for a vacation, you need to make sure that all the appliances, except the refrigerator, are turned off and unplugged. Aside from that, if you have a water heater, then you should also ensure that it is turned off as well. Minimize energy consumption by leaving just a light in the porch and in your living room while you are away.
13. Minimize the number of times you open the door. When it is warm and you are using your air-conditioning to achieve cooler temperature inside your place, then you should minimize the times that you and other members of your household are opening the door. Each time you open the door, warm air would get inside your place. When that happens, it would make your cooling equipment work harder.
14. Turn off your light when you go to bed. Turning off the light inside your bedroom when you go to bed can help save lots of energy. If you are not very comfortable, you can always use a lampshade instead or a night light. When you do this, aside from saving energy, it can also help you sleep better.
15. Using water heater. If you have a water heater installed at your place, it can make your energy consumption go up, if you have leaky faucets. Thus, you should fix any leaky faucet as soon as you spot them. Aside from saving energy, it can also help you save on water usage.
16. Cut off cooling areas in your house that don’t need it. When you turn on your cooling equipment at your place, you have to consider the fact that it would try to lower down the temperature on the entire space. Thus, if you have rooms that don’t need cooling, then you should close the door to that room. By minimizing the space that it has to cool down, you are ensuring that it would not consume more energy that it needs to.
17. Block the summer light to save energy. Blocking the summer light can go a long way, as far as saving energy is concerned. This is because, it can help in bringing down the temperature inside your house. Thus, you need to install awnings, shades, blinds, or sunscreens in spots where sunlight can enter. Reflect away the heat from your house to make it cooler.
18. Have a technician check your electric wirings on a regular manner. Checking your electric wirings inside your house is necessary, in order to lessen energy consumption. Routine check up would ensure that no wires are damaged by pests, which can cause more energy consumed or even short circuit. Thus, this practice would not just conserve energy, but also make your home safer as well.
19. Installing an exhaust fan in your kitchen. Whenever you are cooking, an exhaust fan inside your kitchen can help a lot in blowing hot air from the place. This can help you save a lot of energy especially during summer time. Your savings when it comes to using energy to cool down your place would be more than the electricity consumed by the fan.
20. Air dry your dishes whenever you can. Using the dishwater heater consumes a lot of energy. Thus, it is best if you turn it off, whenever you leave your place and also when you are not making use of it. Aside from that, it is also a good idea to simply air dry your dishes whenever you can or when you have the time for it.
21. Be mindful of your cooling system’s thermostat levels.
It is best to be mindful of your cooling system’s temperature or thermostat levels. This is because, it can determine the amount of energy that it would consume in cooling down your place. Thus, you should take note of the comfortable temperature that you want to achieve, so that you won’t go lower and consume more energy in the process.
22. An alternative to using your air conditioning system. If it is warm and you don’t want to turn on your air-conditioning system for a while, you can make use of an alternative for it. All you have to do is to place a bowl that is filled with ice cubes in front of your electric fan. Turn on the fan, and you can feel cool air blown towards you.
23. Reduce the humidity inside your place. Reducing the humidity inside your place can greatly help in making you more comfortable during warm weather conditions. To achieve that, all you have to do is to use a dehumidifier. When you make use of it, you can minimize the number of times that you have to turn on your airconditioning system.
24. Use your air-conditioning system’s timer. It is a good idea to make use of your air-conditioning system’s timer on a regular basis to save energy. For example, when you turn it on at night before going to bed, set the timer to turn off the system by dawn. This is because, it is usually pretty cold during that time, and you won’t even notice that your AC has already been turned off.
25. Minimize the use of your shower’s heater. There are times when people make use of their showers’ heater even on summer times. Thus, whenever it is warm, you should see to it that your shower’s heater has been turned off. Do this, so that you can enjoy cooler water, and save on energy consumption.
26. Minimize the times your kids open up the fridge. Whenever you open the door of your refrigerator, its cool air would go out and warm air would go in. Therefore, it can make your fridge work harder, and consume more energy because of it. Thus, you have to remind your kids not to open up the fridge a lot. Aside from that, let other members of your household be aware of it, so that they can all help out.
27. Purchase an air-conditioning system that can help you conserve energy. There are air-conditioning systems today, which are designed to help you conserve energy. One example of it is that, it has a plug that comes with a socket in it, in which you can plug your fan into. With that, once the timer turns off the system, your fan would automatically be turned on, so that you won’t even have to get up of your bed to do it.
28. Buy more food items to place inside your refrigerator. Keep in mind that a cooling system usually works harder with larger space. Thus, if your refrigerator is half empty, then it needs to consume more energy to cool it down. With that, you should try to consume more space inside your refrigerator, so that you would be able to save energy.
29. Turn off your computer. Lots of people think that when they turn their computer off and on, it would wear out the system faster. However, it is actually untrue, especially with the newer computers. Thus, it is time to make it a practice to turn off your computer whenever you are not using it, so that you can bring down your electricity bills.
30. Turn off all heat sources in summer. One of the best ways to minimize heat during the summertime is to turn off all the heat sources inside your place. Some of which would be lights, appliances, and other electrical items. Turning off these things whenever they are not in use would minimize heat inside the house, and would help you save on energy cost.
31. Use LED for your lighting needs. LED lighting is now being used by a lot of companies, in order for them to reduce their electricity bills. This is because, these types of lighting are energy efficient compared to traditional types. Thus, it is time to make use of such types of lighting, so that you too can enjoy more savings from them.
32. Add light timers in your place. Reducing the amount of time you make use of the lights inside your place can help a lot when it comes to energy saving. Thus, installing light timers can help you achieve your goal in it. With a timer, you can ensure that the lights in your porch or garage would be turned off, even before you go out of bed.
33. Energy saving in cooking. Whenever you are trying to cook something with the use of a pot, it is better to make use of the lid for it to conserve energy. By using the lid, it ensures that heat would not go out of the pot and be focused on the food that you are trying to cook. This is actually one of the reasons why the lid is always included whenever you purchase a pot.
34. Having a swimming pool. A swimming pool can greatly help you during summertime, since it can reduce the amount of time you make use of your air-conditioning system. However, running your pool can also consume lots of energy, especially if you let the water pump run 24 hours a day. To get around it, just let it run for 6 to 8 hours each day instead, so that you can save energy.
35. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. Using the traditional incandescent light bulbs use a lot of energy. This is because, aside from providing light, they also produce heat. Thus, it is time to replace them with compact fluorescent light bulbs today, so that you can save more energy. They do not produce heat, and they consume 80 percent less energy.
36. Motion sensing devices. Motion sensors can help you a lot when it comes to conserving energy. This is because, you can make use of them for your outdoor lighting. With motion sensors, you can ensure that your outdoor lighting would only be used whenever the sensors detect something moving outside your place.
37. Your furnace filters. Keep in mind that your furnace filters can get dirty in just a matter of time. The dirtier they get, the more energy your furnace fan needs to consume in order to work. Thus, it is best if you replace the furnace filters on a regular basis, so that you can consume less energy.
38. Give your computer a break. Keep in mind that your computer becomes slower as you fill it up with more and more data. Thus, it is time to clean out unwanted data from it. By doing that, your computer would work faster, which would reduce the time you need to spend in doing something in and it that would result to more energy saved.
39. Get your family to watch television in the living room. It is quite a usual thing these days for each of the members of the family to have their own television set insider their own rooms. Whenever you are all trying to watch the same TV program though, convince all the members of the family to watch it in the living room. When you do this, you won’t just be saving energy, but it can also give you time to bond with each other.
40. Buy energy efficient appliances. If you are shopping for appliances, you would realize that in most cases, the energy efficient products are usually more expensive. Although they are, they can actually provide you with more benefits in the long run. Aside from helping you minimize energy consumption, these models usually are also made in higher quality than the others.
41. Charge your mobile phone’s battery, when it is almost empty. Lots of people today put their mobile phones with its charger every time they arrive at their place, even when the battery is still half full. It is actually a better practice to charge your battery, when it is almost empty, so that you can minimize the number of times that you plug it into the socket. Aside from that, it can also prolong the life of your battery.
42. Using the right amount of detergent. When you make use of your dishwasher, you should see to it that you are putting just the right amount of detergent. This is because, too much of it or too little can affect your dishwasher’s efficiency. It is time to read the instructions well, so that you can conserve more energy.
43. Use a dishpan whenever you are hand washing dishes. Hand washing dishes is actually a good way to save energy, especially if there are only few of them that you need to deal with. However, you should not let hot water run continuously whenever you are doing it. To avoid this, you can always make use of a dishpan, in order to hold water. This would not just minimize the energy consumed, but it would also conserve water.
44. Using an electric oven for cooking. When you are using your electric oven to cook something up, you can always turn it off in advance. In other words, you can turn off the oven even when you are not done cooking yet. There is no need to worry in doing that, since the oven can retain heat. This can also be done when you are just trying to heat your food.
46. Do not over dry your clothes. Whenever you make use of your washing machine’s dryer, you have to be careful not to over dry your clothes. This is because, over drying them would waste a lot of energy. Aside from that, it can also ruin your clothes if you do it all the time.
47. Cook barbeque and steaks every weekend. To enjoy your weekends, you can always cook barbeque and steaks with your family. This would reduce the amount of time that you make use of your electric stove and oven. Aside from that, it would also provide you a chance to spend time with your spouse and kids.
48. Have smaller cooking appliances. Unless you are constantly throwing a party or there are lots of members in your family, you should make use of smaller cooking appliances to save energy. This is because, smaller ones simply consume lesser energy to do the same cooking task. Thus, it is time to make use of the smaller appliances, and use the larger ones only when you really need them.
49. Moving your refrigerator. Always remember that the temperature around the place where your refrigerator is situated, can affect the appliance’s energy consumption. Thus, it is important that you situate your fridge in a cooler place. Do not let it stand near a cooker or where the sunlight comes in, so that it won’t have to work harder to cool down the food items it contains.
50. Do not forget to defrost your refrigerator regularly. It is important to defrost your refrigerator on a regular basis. This is because, it can greatly help when it comes to its efficiency. Aside from that, it can also help in prolonging its life. If you don’t want to defrost manually though, then it is best to buy a refrigerator that has an automatic defrosting feature.
