I.   Keeping Warm

•  Thermostat Advice .   Set your thermostat at the lowest comfortable setting and leave it alone during the day.   Overnight, lower the setting by 5 to 10º.   Use your judgment if someone is elderly or ill.   Check your thermostat location make sure your thermostat is not affected by drafts that will give you an incorrect reading. Install a programmable thermostat.

•  Seal the Hatches.   Use weather-stripping around all attic stairwells and insulate attic door with rigid board insulation to reduce heat loss.

•  Electric Outlets.   Stop cold air infiltration from electric switch and plug outlets by using draft blockers.

•  Seal the Outside.   Caulk around foundation walls, pipe outlets, clothes dryer vents, and any other gaps on the outside of your house.   Weather-strip your garage door to reduce drafts.   Tape or cover unused keyholes.

•  Install door sweeps to inside doors adjacent to the garage and doors adjacent to the outside.

•  Ventilation.   Attic and crawl space vents should be left open all year to prevent moisture problems.   If your home lacks attic vents, consult a contractor.

•  Window Habits.   Open curtains and/or shades of east, south, and west-facing windows on sunny days to let the sun heat your home.   Close them at night.   Keep draperies closed all day on north facing windows.   Repair cracked or missing windowpanes.   Keep storm windows and doors tightly closed.

•  Unblocking Heat.   Check all the places where heat enters the room.   Make sure drapes and furniture do not interfere with the flow of heat.

•  Add Humidity .   Humidity usually makes you feel more comfortable at the same temperature.   Use a room or furnace humidifier or keep shallow pans of water on radiator tops or near hot air vents.

•  Clean Burners .   Your heating system should be cleaned and inspected once a year.   In addition, if you have an oil-fired system, ask your heating contractor about the possibility of reducing the nozzle size of your oil burner.

•  Radiator Recommendation .   Make or buy reflectors to place behind radiators to increase heat reflection into the room.   During the heating season, remove radiator covers that interfere with heating efficiency.

•  Furnace Filters .   During the hearing season, check the filters on your forced-air furnace every month.   Replace as necessary.

•  Heating Ducts .   Use foil tape or mastic to cover any gaps or cracks on the ducts of your forced air heating system.

•  Fireplace Use .   The best way to conserve energy with fireplaces is not to use them.   When used, they draw warm air from adjacent rooms and send it up the chimney.   If you do not want to block off your fireplace permanently, keep the damper tightly closed when not in use.   Use thermo-glass doors to cover the face of the fireplace to reduce heat loss.

•  Air Conditioner Insulating .   Seal all air gaps between your air conditioner and window.   During winter months, thoroughly cover the unit outdoors with sturdy plastic and tape.   Use an inside cover to further eliminate drafts and cold surfaces.

II. Keeping Cool

•  Window Fans.   If it cools off outside at night, use a window fan to bring in cooler air instead of running the air conditioner.   Fans use as little as one-tenth the electricity needed by an air conditioner.   If your air-conditioner has an outside air control, use it without turning the cooling section on.

•  Air Conditioner Control.   Set the temperature control no lower than 78º F.   A 75º setting costs 18 percent more; a 72º setting costs 39 percent more.

• Air Conditioner Cleaning.   Check the filter at least once a month, and, if necessary, replace it.   IF you can do so safely, check and clean the condenser coils and fins on the outside of the unit.

III.   Water Heating

The amount of energy you use to heat water for washing dishes and clothing, and bathing, typically is second only to house heating in total energy consumption.

•  Hot Water.   Some water heaters are set at 150º F or higher.   This doesn't make the hot water come to your sink any faster.   And when it does, it's too hot and you have to dilute it with cold water.   If you have an automatic dishwasher with a temperature booster, you can set your water heater thermostat at 120º F.

•  Drain a few gallons from your tank every six months.   This removes the sludge on the bottom that reduces heating efficiency.

•  If your house will be vacant for two or more days, turn the water heater down to the lowest setting or shut off completely.

•  Install energy-saving showerheads and faucet aerators.

•  Repair all leaking water faucets, especially the hot water faucets.

IV. Refrigerator-Freezer

Refrigerators are usually the biggest energy consumers in the kitchen.

•  Clean Coils.   Clean the condenser coils at the back or bottom of your unit at least once a year.   If your refrigerator has a fan to circulate air, make sure its vent is unobstructed.   Be sure to unplug the unit before working on it.

•  Worn Gasket.   If the door gasket is loose or torn, you may be able to repair it.   If it can't be fixed, it should be replaced.

  V.   Lighting

•   Energy-Saving Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL's) .  These bulbs use about one-fourth as much energy as the same amount of light produced from an incandescent bulb.   Replace a 100 Watt incandescent bulb with a 25 Watt CFL to save energy. They also last up to 10 times longer, so you won't have to replace them as often. 

•   Timers.   Consider putting timers on key light locations.