Top 20 things you can do to save energy all year round

A lot of people like to complain that their electric, water, gas or other energy bill is just too high.  We counter that by saying that, for the most part, those are the same people who don’’t turn off lights, wash small loads of laundry with a full load’’s worth of water and keep the heat on so high in winter that their house feel like a sauna.  But, rather than judge we put together a very simple list of some of the best tips for saving energy that we have come across.  Cheers!

1. Turn off the lights!
2. Turn TVs, stereos and computers completely off when not in use.
3. If you won’’t use something for a few days or are going on vacation, unplug things that aren’’t vital.
4. Wait until the dishwasher is full to run it.
5. Don’’t put big furniture over or in front of heating ducts.
6. Keep shades drawn and doors and windows closed when the AC is on.
7. Invest in a programmable thermostat.
8. Replace that old hot water heater.
9. Insulate any pipes that carry hot water.
10. Turn off the water heater if you go on vacation.
11. Change the air filters in your heating and AC units twice a year.
12. Make sure the insulation between the house and the attic is sufficient to keep heat loss down to a minimum
13. Close vents in rooms that you don’’t use and their doors too.
14. Turn the water off while you lather and wash your hair and body.
15. Leave lights off during the day and use sunlight.
16. Use 1 larger light bulb instead of several smaller ones.
17. Use motion detectors on outside lights so that they aren’’t on all day.
18. Clean and vacuum refrigerator coils occasionally.
19. Cool off hot food before storing them in the fridge.
20. Cook things in the oven at the same time to save gas or electric.
21. Defrost food before you microwave it.
22. Wash full loads of clothes and only use cold water.
23. Clean the dryer lint filter after every use.
24. Dry one load right after another because the machine is still hot.
25. Don’’t waste water on the grass or washing the car.

And there you go. 25 excellent tips that you can start using today that will lower your energy bills and help save the planet a little bit too.  Come back soon and we’’ll have more.  Cheers!