Prevent Pollution - More Tips


Fridge

  • Keep the refrigerator full. Cold items help stabilize the temperature when the door is open.
  • If you have an extra refrigerator in the garage that you just use to cool sodas, unplug it - it is costing you about $120.00 per year to operate (maybe even more with energy price hikes).
  • Clean the coils in the back of the refrigerator/freezer.
  • Listen to hear if the refrigerator is running too often or too long, and get it checked (maintenance work on older units has a big pay-off in terms of energy efficiency).
  • When buying or replacing your refrigerator, make sure the new one has the Energy Star label. Many of these items save you more than 50% of the energy used by old appliances.
  • Refrigerators with the freezer on the top or bottom are 13-16% more energy efficient than side-by-side refrigerators.

 

Dishwasher

  • Air dry your dishes instead of using the "heat dry" function on your dishwasher.
  • Avoid the "rinse hold" setting. This will save you 3-7 times the hot water.
  • Up to 90% of the cost to run your dishwasher may come from the energy needed to heat the water.
  • When buying or replacing your dishwasher, make sure the new one has the Energy Star label. Many of these items save you more than 50% of the energy used by old appliances.
  • If your water heater is an older model, wrap an insulating blanket around it.
  • You can save energy by turning down the temperature on your water heater to no more than 120 degrees. Don't worry, you will still have plenty of hot water, and you won't have to worry about anyone getting scalded when they turn on your hot water to wash their hands.

 

Oven

  • Check the seal on your oven door to make sure hot air isn't escaping.
  • If you have a gas stove, check the color of the flame. You want the flame to be a blue color. If it's yellow, then you need the gas to be adjusted.
  • Use glass or ceramic in the oven. This lowers the required oven temperature by 25 degrees, while maintaining the same cooking time.
  • Don't open the oven door often. Each time it opens, the temperature of the oven decreases 25 degrees.

 

Laundry

  • Avoid doing laundry during peak demand hours (5-9am and 4-7pm).
  • Only do laundry with a full load (but don't overload the washer!).
  • Clean lint trap before drying clothes.
  • Use the proper amount of detergent. Using extra soap causes more suds, which uses more water and energy to rinse.
  • Here's a very retro idea - consider using a clothesline (the original solar appliance) to dry your clothes, rather than a dryer.
  • When buying or replacing your washing machine or dryer, make sure the new one has the Energy Star label. Many of these items save you more than 50% of the energy used by old appliances.
  • When buying a new washing machine, consider a front-loading washer - these save on both water use and energy, and can wash bulkier items such as sleeping bags.

 

Water Use

Sprinklers:

  • Water the lawn before 8am or after 6pm. Also, try to water in three short sessions instead of one long one.
  • Check to see if the sprinkler water runs onto the cement.
  • Avoid using the fine mist setting, which looses water to evaporation.
  • Install a rain shut-off device to your sprinkler system. This will stop your sprinklers from turning on when the lawn is already wet from the rain.
  • Make sure sprinkler heads are in good shape.

Shower:

  • Use low-flow showerheads. If every household in California used these, we would save enough electricity to shut down 15 power plants.

Faucet/Pipes:

  • Insulate the hot water pipes in crawl spaces.
  • Repair leaky faucets.

 

Windows

  • When buying new windows, look for the NRFC label. This label evaluates the energy performance of a new window. To maximize the effectiveness of the window, make sure to consider function, placement, appearance and cost.
  • Put window awnings up to keep the area shaded.
  • Shut the drapes during the day.
  • Open the windows at night to let in the cool evening air.

 

Keeping Cool

Ceiling & Floor Fans

  • Using fans is a cheap and easy way to keep the house cool without using the air conditioner.

Whole House Fans

  • Use about a tenth of the energy needed for a comparable size air conditioner.
  • Work best in the morning or at night because they pull the cool outside air into the house while pushing the warm inside air out.
  • When looking to purchase a whole-house fan, look at the CFM (cubic feet of air moved per minute) rating to see what best matches your needs.
  • See a general fact sheet here.

Air Conditioners

  • Check your air conditioner filter monthly. Units will cool more quickly and use less energy with a clean or new filter. Check your air conditioner and get it tuned if necessary.
  • Use smart landscaping, using plants and trees to shade the house and your air conditioning unit, but be sure you keep the air conditioning condenser clear of any trees or shrubs that can block air flow.

Thermostat

  • If you have an older thermostat, buy an automatic setback thermostat. These are "programmable" thermostats that allow you to set automatic temperature levels for weekdays, weekends, evenings, etc. You'll never again come home from work and find out you left the heater or air conditioner on all day by mistake. If properly used it could save you 20-70% in heating costs and 15-25% in cooling costs.