Energy Conservation Tips

Every little step leads to something bigger.

Every little step leads to something bigger. You can help to reduce the energy wastage of your household. Not only will this assist in keeping your bills manageable but it also assists us in reducing our production costs. Here are a few tips to help get you started.

Kitchen Appliances

  • Minimize the amount of time the refrigerator door is opened. Every time the refrigerator door opens 30% of the cold air escapes.
  • In the freezer keep all liquids tightly covered. Uncovered liquids evaporate causing a frost-free system to work harder.
  •  Side by side refrigerator/freezers mostly use more energy than a top or bottom freezer unit. And upright freezers will use more energy than a chest type freezer.
  • Keep the condenser coils at the back of and underneath the refrigerator clean. Accumulated dust reduces their efficiency by up to 25%.
  • You should never put warm or hot food into the fridge as this will make the fridge work extra hard to try and keep it cold; always allow food to cool down first.

Electronics

  • Enable “power management” on all computers and make sure to turn them off at night. A laptop uses up to 90% less energy than desktop models.
  • Plug all radios, cell phone and MP3 chargers, fans and other personal electronics into a power strip that can be turned off when not in use. “Standby power” usage can account for up to 30 percent of your home electronics energy.
  • Activate “sleep” features on computers and office equipment that power down while on, when not in use for awhile. Turn them off altogether during long periods of non-use to cut utility costs and extend longevity.
  • When buying new appliances, look at the yellow Energy Guide label and buy only energy-efficient appliances

Air Conditioners / Fans

  • Shade the outdoor air conditioning unit if possible. A unit in the sun will use up to 5% more energy than one in the shade.
  • Air conditioners work to remove humidity, so  moisture-making jobs such as: dishwashing laundry and bathing should be done either early morning or at night when it’s cooler.
  • Shut off your air conditioner if you leave home for an extended period of time.
  • Consider window fans, ceiling fans or whole-house fans, which use much less power, as an alternative to air conditioners.
  • Close your blinds, shades or draperies during the hottest part of the day.
  • Cool only the rooms you are using. Close off unused rooms.
  • Fans cool people not rooms. Do not use a fan to try and cool off an empty room.

Energy Efficient Habits

  • Iron once a week. Repeatedly reheating the iron everyday causes you to use more electricity.
  • Install energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs or LED bulbs. They give off less heat and use as much as 75% less energy than regular bulbs.
  • Cell phones take 2-4 hours to charge, avoid wasting electricity by over charging them.
  • Water heaters and pumps, refrigerators, air conditioning units and hair dryers are some of a household’s biggest consumers of electricity. Replacing older models with energy efficient ones and regular maintenance can help these appliances run more cost efficiently.