Energy & Water Saving Tips

Energy Saving Tips

• Add insulation to your attic and insulate unfinished walls in basements and crawlspaces
• Close doors and heat registers in rooms that are seldom used
• Close drapes and shades at night t prevent heat loss. Open drapes and shade in the daytime to let in sun
• Consider attaching a small diverter to your dryer vent: With a diverter, in the winter you can send warm moist air into your house, instead of into the back yard. Flip the lever for summer use
• Consider replacing old, inefficient natural gas appliances
• Furnaces should be checked before the start of the heating season by a HVAC professional
• Install insulation blanket and water pipe installation to hot water heater
• Lower thermostat at night and use an electric blanket
• Plant trees that lose their leaves in the fall on the south, east and/or west sides of home to permit winter sunlight to reach and warm your home. Create a windbreak with evergreen trees and shrubs to stop chilling winds
• Storm windows can reduce heat lost by single-paned windows by 25 to 50%. An alternative temporarily cover windows with plastic sheeting
• Turn the dial down on the hot water heater
• Use Ceiling fans efficiently, in the winter, reverse the blades so air blows down.
• Use ceiling fans to push warm air down and circulate heat
• Use a humidifier to make the air feel more comfortable at lower temperatures. Near the end of your shower, close stopper and let some of that hot water sit in the tub. It will add humidity to the air
• Use programmable thermostats properly to reduce heating costs
• Weather strip your doors and windows

Tips to Conserve Water

We drink very little of the millions of gallons of water that are treated every day for drinking. Generally speaking, less than 1% of the water produced by water treatment facilities is actually used for drinking. The average use of water in the home is 26% for flushing toilets, 20% for showers and baths, 15% kitchen and bathroom faucets, 3% cleaning, 23% laundry and 13% for leaks.

The following are some helpful tips for conserving water:

• Capture and recycle rainwater by placing barrels or buckets beneath your downspouts, use water cans, whenever possible
• Check your toilet for leaks, put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank, wait 10 min. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl, you have a leak, which should be repaired immediately.
• Don't let the water run while brushing your teeth, shaving or washing your face
• Don't water outdoor plants until they need it
• Fill your dishwasher full (running dishwasher after 10 p.m. also helps reduce the demand on the water treatment facility during peak hours.
• Install inexpensive faucet aerators in your bathroom and kitchen taps
• Limit the length of your shower to 5 min or less. (Reducing showering time by 1 minute can save 1,000 gallons of water a year)
• Most toilets installed before 1980 use 5 to 7 gallons of water per flush
• Replace shower heads with low-flow nozzles
• Store drinking water in the refrigerator rather than letting the tap run
• Take shower vs. bath, typical bath takes about 40 gal of water
• Use full loads of laundry whenever possible
• Water early in the morning and don't water if rain is in the forecast