- 1). Check for any leaks or places where you might lose energy from your home. Completely close all windows, doors and vents that lead to the outside and turn off any gas appliances. Set up fans to pull air out of rooms away from doors and windows by placing the fans near the door blowing air out of the room. Check for air leaks near any window, doors, corners, electrical outlets and switch plates by wetting your hand and moving it near these locations. This will help you feel whether a draft occurs or not.
- 2). Use fans in the summer and space heaters in the winter. These consume less energy than the air conditioner or furnace and let you set the thermostat to higher or lower temperatures correspondingly.
- 3). Adjust settings on your appliances so they use less heat and energy. Turn off the heated dry cycle on your dishwasher. Raise the temperature in your refrigerator and freezer to the highest point that will keep your food cool, around 35 to 40 degrees for the refrigerator and 0 to 5 degrees for the freezer. Use the cold water setting on the washing machine as much as possible to reduce the energy needed to heat the water. Also, turn down the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees. Many water heaters are set too high and you usually won't notice the difference.
- 4). Purchase the most energy-efficient models of appliances available when you need to upgrade home appliances. Service all appliances regularly to keep clogged filters and broken or leaky gaskets from wasting energy.
- 5). Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent versions, especially for lights that remain on for extended periods of time, such as security or outdoor lights. Use timers on outdoor lights so you won't forget to turn them off during the day.
- 6). Weatherize your house. Caulk all cracks and crevices that allow air in from the outside. Apply energy-efficient treatments to windows. Install energy-efficient insulation with an R-value of 40 for ceilings, 11 for basement walls and 19 for floors.
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