Do-It-Yourself Tips

Today we hear a lot about strategies to reduce the rate we pay for our heating fuel. I believe the “lowest hanging fruit” is available to most by lowering usage!

Replace incandescent bulbs with Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) — CFLs can give the same amount and quality of light as incandescent bulbs, yet use one-third the amount of energy and last ten times longer. A CFL can save over $30 in electricity costs over the lamp's lifetime compared to an incandescent bulb and save 2,000 times their own weight in green house gases.

Use dimmer switches or timers on lights. Savings: 7-10 percent of lighting costs.

Set your water heater thermostat at the lowest temperature that provides you with sufficient hot water, but not lower than 120* F. For most households, 120* F water is fine. If you use a lot of hot water, you may need to set the temperature higher to provide enough hot water for your needs.

Keep bulbs and fixtures clean. Dirt will absorb the light and reduce the efficiency.

Operate your dishwasher at full capacity. And if the manufacturer's instructions permit, open the door of the dishwasher at the end of the last rinse cycle, rather than using the drying cycle.

Choose the right size dishwasher for your home. Standard capacity models hold more than 8 place settings and 6 serving pieces. Compact capacity models hold 8 place settings and six serving pieces or less. If you have to operate a compact model more frequently, you may actually use more energy than you would with a standard model over time.

Choose a dishwasher with several wash cycle selections. If your dishes are only slightly dirty, you can use the light or energy-saving wash cycle, it uses less water and runs for a shorter period of time.

Don't preheat your oven. And try to avoid “peeking” by opening the oven door. Each “peek” can lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees.