Tips for Making Energy Efficient Habits

Get in the habit of saving energy!
Everyday changes can save electricity and money.

-Unplug appliances that are dormant.
The average household is constantly drawing 50 watts of electricity that are not being used.  This electricity is being consumed by appliances which are turned off, but which are still costing you money.  Look around your home for large black boxes plugged into your outlets.  If these belong to an appliance that you can unplug when not in use, do so. 

-Don’t rinse your dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.
Scraping food off plates instead of rinsing them will save your water.  Most modern dishwashers are designed to deal with tougher messes anyway, making rinsing an unnecessary step. 

-Vacuum your refrigerator’s condenser coils.
Once a year, vacuum the coils that run along the back of your refrigerator.  This will help it to run for shorter periods.

-Cover liquids and wrap foods when you place them in the refrigerator.
When we neglect to cover or wrap food that we put in the fridge, the moisture that escapes from them causes the refrigerator to work harder.

-Cover pots and pans when cooking.
Covering pots and pans when cooking will reduce the amount energy used to cook by not allowing heat to escape.

-Turn off lights when they are not in use.

-Close curtains to block sun in summer and retain overnight heat in winter.
You can use curtains to shield your home from the sun’s heat in the summer, and from the chill of cold nights in the winter.

-Use an appropriately sized burner.
Be sure to match the size of your burner to the cookware that you are using.

-Turn your water heater down to 120 degrees.
By reducing the temperature on your hot water heater you will save energy as well as lower the risk of scalding, an especially important consideration if you have children.  120 degrees is a sufficient temperature for bathing, doing laundry, and, if your dishwasher has a booster heater, washing dishes. 

Join GLREA
Go to our membership area and find out how you can join GLREA!

Contact GLREA
Feel free to contact us if you have any additional questions or comments.

GLREA is a 501c3 nonprofit organization and contributions may be tax deductable.