How to Save Electricity at Home

1.  Save electricity in the home by replacing all of your old Thomas Edison style bulbs with the new Compact Florescent Light-bulbs. They use about 78% less electricity without sacrificing any lumens (measurement of light output). They are getting cheaper by the day and are available in either True Light or Soft Light. Be sure to choose the one most appropriate for your needs.

2.  Turn off your computer if it isn't completing any overnight maintenance tasks or enable the Standby or Sleep Mode, as recommended by Energy Star. It will help ensure that the computer uses as little energy as needed. Or, at the very least, turn off the computer screen to save a few pennies. It's just a switch and it won't affect anything the computer is doing.

Another suggestion is to pack up those old desktops in favor of the more lightweight and energy-efficient laptops. They consume less than 1/3 of the energy with almost all of the benefits of a desktop.

3.  Make the transition from an old tube-television to the newer LCD HDTV's. They use way less energy and some even come equipped with Energy Star standards. Plasma TV's have their benefits but they use up a lot of electricity. They are getting temptingly cheaper but they will soon be phased out by the LCD.

4.  The refrigerator and freezer are the most energy consuming appliances we have in our homes. They are on 24/7 non stop. Some are more efficient than others and they need to work hard to keep your food cold.

Buy the best rated energy-efficient refrigerator on the market within your budget. If you insist on using a deep freezer, pick a size that suits your needs. Avoid placing them in a warm place like the kitchen. Opt for the basement or garage where it is already cooler. That way the freezer won't have to work extra hard.

Also, don't forget that refrigerators pose a real hazard to the environment when not disposed of properly. Take the time to take them to a proper recycling facility.

5.  Air-conditioners love to suck electricity. Acting on the same principles as the refrigerator and freezer; these things are on 24/7 during those warm days. If at all possible avoid using them by finding other ways to stay cool. Plan to spend the day at the mall or see a movie at the theater during the peak sun times. Leave your blinds shut during the day and leave the windows open at night to let in a nice cool breeze.

Also, try using a dehumidifier to help draw the moisture out of the air.

6.  Electrical vampires are little devices that use electricity merely by being plugged into the wall. This could be a phone charger, entertainment system, stereo... basically everything else. You've probably noticed that after turning off your television you see a glowing blue dot signifying that it is off. Well these small lights add up to serious costs in the long run so here's what you do.

Purchase power-bars with timer settings on them. Plug your TV, Stereo, DVD player, Xbox, Wii, everything to it. So when the timer turns the power-bar off you'll be certain no juice is flowing into your expensive electronic equipment.

Saving Electricity Tips

The biggest electricity users in the home tend to be heating and/or air conditioning, water heating, washing machines, tumble dryers, dishwashers, lighting, and the refrigerator. When looking to save electricity, spend the most time focussing on these big energy hogs to get the biggest effect for your efforts.

Here are a selection of tips to help you to reduce your electricity consumption:

1. Turn off your television, video, hifi, playstation, and other entertainment devices when they are not being used.

2. Do not leave your television etc in standby mode. Devices can use up to 90% as much power in standby mode as when they are on, so it is a serious waste of energy when a device is left constantly on standby. If you keep forgetting, consider purchasing a PowerSafer - a device which automatically cuts power to appliances when they go into standby mode.

3. Replace all of your inefficient incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient CFL bulbs. Replace halogen spotlights with much more efficient and longer lasting LED Spotlights.

4. Hang your clothes out to dry rather than using an electric tumble dryer. Ideally use a spin dryer before using the tumble dryer.

5. Cook many items at the same time when your electric oven is hot.

6. Use a microwave to reheat food or to cook small portions. Although a microwave uses a lot of power, it does so over a very short time and so saves energy overall.

7. Turn down your heating system thermostat. For every degree you lower your heat between 60° and 70° F you can reduce your heating bill by up to 5%. Wear an extra layer of clothing in the house so that you stay warm. Turn down individual radiators - for example, 16°-18° is warm enough for bedrooms whereas 20°-22°C is more comfortable in bathrooms. Rooms that are rarely used can have their heating turned all the way down or off.

8. Purchase energy efficient white goods (washing machines, tumble driers, fridges etc). Although they usually cost a little more initially, the cost savings in electricity will cover that many times over. As an added benefit, efficient items are usually better made and last longer than inefficient models.

9. Vacuum clean the condenser coils at the back or underneath your fridge freezer. Accumulated dust reduces their efficiency by up to 25% adding that cost to your electricity bill.

10. Keep your fridge full, but not so full that air cannot circulate properly.

11. Fold clothes straight out of the tumble drier while they are still warm to save on ironing.

12. Cool cooked food before you put it into the fridge.

13. Do not put uncovered liquids into the fridge. Their evaporation will make the fridge have to work harder.

14. Heat only as much water as you require for drinks and cooking. If you keep forgetting, purchase an energy efficient eco kettle energy efficient ECO Kettle.

15. Use a convection oven. A small fan inside circulates hot air throughout the oven cutting cooking times by up to 30%.

16. Don't preheat the oven for roasting.

17. Don't keep opening the oven door. Every time you do so, your oven loses 20°C of heat.

18. Put lamps in the corner of a room so that the light is reflected off two walls.

19. Turn down the temperature on your washing machine. Heating the water uses the majority of the electricity, so by doing a warm wash instead of a hot wash, big savings are possible. 

20. Defrost frozen food in the fridge since this helps to cool the fridge.

21. Running a full load in an efficient dishwasher will use less hot water than washing up by hand in the sink! Save money, save time, and save electricity.

22. Boil water in a kettle rather than on a hob to save 50-70% of the energy and to get your water boiled faster.

23. In the summer use ceiling fans on a fast setting instead of air conditioning to keep cool. In the winter, running the fans slowly will push warm air collected at ceiling height down to where you want it. (If the slowest setting on your fan is too strong, reverse the direction of the fan in the winter so that the accumulated warm air is blown up against the ceiling and bounces more gently down around the walls and into the living space.

24. Use the recommended depth of loft insulation, and consider cavity wall insulation or external solid wall insulation for which grants are available.

25. Turn off the lights when you leave a room.

26. Separate items when moving them from the washing machine to the tumble dryer. When everything is tangled up together in a lump the drying cycle takes longer using more electricity.

27. Keep your freezer full. A full freezer uses less electricity than an empty or partially full freezer.

28. Defrost your fridge and freezer regularly.

29. Keep the contents of your fridge and freezer tidy so that you can find what you want quickly and not leave the door open for a long time.

30. Use the smallest pot you can to heat food, and keep the lid on to speed up heating and use less power.

31. Fan ovens use less power than non-fan ovens, and pressure cookers use 25% less power.

32. Turn off kitchen and bathroom extractor fans as quickly as possible in the winter since they are sucking the expensively heated air out of the house.

33. Close curtains and blinds before it gets dark (and cold) outside. Make sure they are open in rooms which face the morning sun so that rooms can be heated by solar power.

34. Seal leaks around windows and doors to reduce cold draughts and lower heating bills.

35. Thaw frozen foods before cooking.

36. Iron clothes in a large batch rather than piecemeal.

6 Tips to Save Electricity

Turn Appliances Off

• According to Electricity Guide, appliances that are left on "stand by" modes use 85 percent of the power they would normally use if turned on. Completely powering down your computer, video gaming system and other appliances can save electricity and help you lower your electricity bill. If certain appliances lack an off switch, consider unplugging these devices when they are not in use. Additionally, avoid using appliances during peak electricity hours, which run daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Use Energy-Efficient Bulbs

• About 10 to 15 percent of your home electricity bill is devoted to lighting. Energy-efficient light bulbs like compact fluorescent bulbs and light emitting diode bulbs devote more power to light than conventional bulbs, which actually expend more of their energy as heat. Using these energy-efficient bulbs in your home can help save electricity, lower your energy costs and cut the costs of replacing bulbs since energy-efficient bulbs last up to 10 times longer than conventional bulbs.
• AVOID THE DRYER

• The dryer uses the most electricity in your home, second only to your refrigerator. Eliminating it from the clothes washing process whenever possible can help save electricity and lower your energy costs by as much as five percent, according to the Consumer Energy Center. If it is absolutely necessary for you to use the dryer, keeping the drying time to a minimum can help mitigate the cost of energy use.

Clean or Change Air Filters

• Air filters can become clogged or damaged, forcing appliances like air conditioners to work harder to achieve comfortable indoor temperatures. Cleaning or replacing these filters can help lower your energy costs. This is particularly important in the summer months, when electricity bills tend to be higher.

Install Ceiling Fans

• According to Consumer Savvy Tips, installing ceiling fans in your home can reduce energy costs by allowing you to keep your thermostat at a higher setting. Fans that are set to blow air downward can work to cool the air more efficiently than a single air conditioner, while fans that blow air upward may recirculate hot air through the room and increase the temperature.

Open Up The Windows

• The air outside your home may actually be cooler than the air inside. Opening up your windows can significantly cool down your home during those early summer months and help your cut down your electricity bill. If you have ceiling fans installed they can help pull the air inside the home, keeping your hands off the thermostat.

Electricity-Saving Tips

Energy-efficient Lights

• Lightbulbs are one of the most commonly used electrical appliances in most homes. It is not uncommon for a home to have several lightbulbs on at the same time for the majority of the day. Since lightbulbs are used so frequently, it is important to use ones that use energy more efficiently to reduce electricity consumption. Standard lightbulbs are called incandescent bulbs---incandescence is light created from heating up an object. The problem with normal bulbs is that a large amount of energy is lost in the form of heat, which makes them inefficient. Compact fluorescent lamps, or CFLs, are energy-efficient bulbs that produce light using florescence, which generates less heat and is therefore more energy-efficient than a normal bulb. Replacing standard lightbulbs with CFLs as they burn out is a good way to save electricity. CFLs do cost more than normal bulbs, but they also last much longer, which results in savings over time.

Refrigerator Use

• Refrigerators require a large amount of electricity to run, and are on all the time to keep food cool. When the fridge is shut, it only needs to use a certain level of electricity to maintain the air temperature, but every time it is opened, it must work harder to cool the air, since hot air will get inside. To reduce the amount of electricity your refrigerator uses, limit how often you open it. To do this, decide upon the items you want to take out of the fridge before opening it, and strive to locate and take the item quickly to keep as much cold air inside as possible. Setting the temperature level of the fridge higher will also save electricity, but do not to set it so high that your food goes bad. By using food fairly soon after purchasing it, you may be able to run your fridge at a higher temperature without allowing food to spoil.

Unused Devices

• Another important part of saving electricity is making sure no appliances are draining electricity when you are not using them. Whenever you leave a room, turn off the lights and other electrical devices that are on. Refrain from keeping a TV on when you aren't watching it, and turn off computer monitors when you are out of the room. You should also shut down your computer at night to keep it from using energy during the evening. It is also important to note that many electrical devices can use up electricity even when they are not turned on. Simply having a device plugged into a wall socket may result in wasted electricity. Make it a habit to unplug all devices from wall sockets when they are not in use. Things like cell phone chargers, hair dryers, and AC units are common culprits of wasting electricity.

8 Easy Steps on How to Save Electricity

1.  Replace your light bulbs with energy efficient CFL ones.

2.  Turn off lights when you leave a room.

3.  Do not keep the TV on as background noise when you are not watching it.

4.  Ensure you don't have phantom electricity loss. Even when unused, plugged in electrical appliances use a small amount of electricity. Either unplug appliances you are not using, or plug them into a power strip and turn off the power strip when you are done.

5.  Wrap up - wear a sweater, a hooded sweat shirt, sweatpants, socks, a plush slipper, and a hat; only after this should you turn on the heat if needed.

6.  Hair dryers use a lot of electricity. Dry your hair half way, and then let it air dry. Better yet, don't wash your hair every day. Some experts say washing hair every day strips away the oil your scalp produces and harms the hair.

7.  Air dry laundry. Hang the wet clothes in hangers in your closet, but keep the closet door open. Don't do this if you have a mold problem.

8.  Use the light soil wash cycle on your washing machine.

How to Save Electricity

Most people want to save electricity, and lower their electric bill but they don't want to cut out things you need. You could stop throwing away money on your electric bill every month by saving electricity with these simple steps. 

1. To save electricity on appliances keep everything unplugged including the toaster, blender and any other kitchen appliance.

2. Unplug the computer when it is not in use. This does not affect the computer, and they will draw a small charge when not in use. This simple step can save electricity that is being used for hours every day.

3. Keep all chargers unplugged, especially laptop charges, GPS chargers and anything else. These use electricity when not in use.

4. Turn off the water heater when you go on vacation, and if you really want to save electricity, turn it off during the day. This simple step can save an enormous amount of electricity every month.

5. Remove halogen and incandescent bulbs and replace them with compact fluorescent bulbs in every lamp and ceiling fixture. These bulbs will save a great deal of electricity because they are so energy efficient. You will save $75 for every $100 in energy spent on regular lighting costs. That is a great way to save electricity.

6. Keep DVD players, TVs and other audio and stereo equipment plugged into a multi-port surge protector which you can turn off with one simple switch. This allows you to save electricity the easy way, by just turning off the main power port switch.

Save Electricity in the Kitchen

The easiest way to save electricity in the kitchen is to use specialised appliances for the appropriate tasks. For examples, always make toast in a toaster instead of using the oven.

COOKING

- Ensure the oven door is kept closed until the food is done. Constantly opening and closing the oven door dissipates heat, and electricity is wasted in reheating the oven.

- Only use pots and pans that completely cover stove plates. Also keep stove plates and reflectors clean to ensure all the energy is being used to cook the food.

- Use a pressure cooker when preparing foods that take a long time to cook. It will speed up the cooking process and save electricity.

- Turn off the stove before you’ve finished cooking. Hot plates retain heat and will continue to cook your food while saving electricity. Alternatively, bring food to the boil on the ‘high’ setting and then turn down the plate to simmer until cooked. Keep the lid on the pot to retain heat.

- Use the microwave for small to medium amounts of food. Leave the large meals to a conventional oven.

- When using a kettle, boil only as much water as you need.

- Invest in a Hot Box for approximately R150 and save up to 60% on cooking costs. A hot box insulates your cooking pot so that it retains the initial heat. Foods such as rice, porridge, soups or stews can be brought to the boil on the stove and then placed into the Hot Box to continue the cooking process. Alternatively, you can also simply wrap the pot in a blanket. The blanket will keep the heat in and the food will continue to cook.

- Buy a stove with a convection oven / The other best choice is to use a gas hob with an electric oven, or a gas ring and electric hotplate, from an environmental and financial point of view.

REFRIGERATION

- Don’t open the fridge door unnecessarily or leave it open for too long. Cold air sinks so it literally falls out of the fridge, and so your fridge has to start again. An empty fridge has to work hard to keep things cold so put bottles of water in the fridge as these ‘hold onto the cold’ – equally, an overfull fridge also has to work too hard.

- Let hot food cool down before putting it in the fridge. It will require less electricity for further cooling.

- Empty your fridge and switch it off when you go on holiday.

- Defrost your freezer regularly. This will ensure it runs more efficiently.

- Have the seals in your fridge replaced to keep the cold air in.

DISHWASHING

- Washing dishes by hand can use twice as much electricity as a dishwasher.Dishwashers use up to nine times less water than hand washing.

- Only use the dishwasher when it’s full.

- Link the dishwasher to the cold water supply. The dishwasher heats the water itself and only requires hot water for one wash and one rinse cycle. If the dishwasher is linked to a hot water tap, it will draw power for the full duration.

- Turn the dishwasher off before the drying cycle. Use a cloth to dry the dishes/ let them drip-dry.

- When buying a dishwasher: Choose a model that uses less water. A water efficient dishwasher uses up to 50% less water than a conventional one, which means 50% less water to heat up.

- Choose a model with a no-heat air-drying feature to save even more electricity/an option not to use the dryer.

PowerSafer

Save electricity with a PowerSafer - a device which cuts power to appliances left in standby mode

Many televisions, DVD players, games consoles, HI-FIs etc continue to use electricity even when they are switched off using the remote control and left in stand-by mode. A significant amount of energy (and money) could be saved if everyone physically turned off or unplugged these appliances when not in use. On average in the UK standby power* is responsible for more than 10% of domestic electricity usage. This means the average household pay out well over £30 per year for wasted electicity.
* You can use a UK Power Meter to measure how much electricity you electrical appliances use in standby.

PowerSafer is an innovative German product which has the effect of turning off appliances at the main power button, but still permits the remote control to be used to turn them back on again.

PowerSafer

PowerSafer (pictured above) is simply plugged into the wall power point, and the appliance plugged into the PowerSafer via a standard 3-pin socket. PowerSafer can be used to with any appliance which has a physical on/off switch, and a remote control. After the appliance is put into standby modewith the remote control, PowerSafer separates it completely from the power supply.

PowerSafer is currently available in two models PowerSafer TV (PS 1.1) for controlling one television, and PowerSafer Hi-Fi & AV (PS3.m) which will control TV's, DVD players, games consoles, hi-fi equipment, and home theatres. (The new PSX model is mentioned at the bottom of this article.)

PowerSafer PS3.m can be used with up to four electrical appliances at the same time. The unit is extended by using a multi block connected to the PowerSafer socket.

Benefits of PowerSafer

In addition to the obvious benefit of saving electricity (and therefore saving money and reducing emissions), the life of electrical appliances can be increased by 15% if they are not left in standby for hours every day. 

In a typical home PowerSafer should pay for itself easily within one year just in cost of electricity savings.

How Does PowerSafer Work

When an electrical appliance is put into stand-by mode there is a detectable drop in power used. 10 seconds after PowerSafer observes this drop in power it cuts the electricity supply to the appliance (by breaking a relay contact). While in this off mode, PowerSafer itself consumes <0.3 Watts of electricity.

PowerSafer has an infra-red detector. When a remote control is used nearby, PowerSafer automatically switches on sending power to the electrical appliance(s). If, for example, you typically press the power on button on the TV remote control to switch on the television, with PowerSafer you may have to press the button twice - once to wake up PowerSafer sending power to the television, and once to control the television which will still be instandby mode.

When the appliances are on, PowerSafer itself uses approximately 8 Watts of electricity.

PowerSafer PSX

At the end of May 2007 a new PowerSafer model will be launched in the UK - the PSX (pictured above). This will offer all the benefits of the currentPS3M model pictured earlier plus lightening and current surge protection. 

Save Electricity when Doing Laundry

Appliances in the laundry room hike up your monthly bill. Cut electricity costs by investing in energy-efficient appliances with modern settings.

WASHING MACHINE

- Only use your washing machine once a full load of dirty laundry has accumulated. Automatic washing machines use the same amount of electricity for a full load as they do for a single item.

- Use cold-water or lower heat settings as often as possible.Wash bed linen at 60* (instead of 90*) to cut back on the amount of electricity you use.

- Skip the pre-wash cycle for clothes that aren’t particularly dirty. This can cut down hot water usage by up to 20%.

- Never overload your automatic washing machine. Overloading will reduce the cleaning action. Varying the sizes of garments in a full load improves the cleaning action by allowing free circulation.

- Take advantage of special features on your washer that can save money. For example, soak cycles remove stubborn stains in one wash cycle.

- Invest in a front-loading washing machine instead of a top loader. It uses less water and costs less to operate. Also ensure the new machine offers a variety of water temperature settings.

TUMBLE DRYING

- Hang your clothes outside to dry. If possible, avoid using a tumble dryer altogether. Do your laundry on a sunny day, or use an indoor drying rack to dry your clothes.

- Remove excess water before putting clothes in the dryer. This minimises the drying times required.

- Dry multiple loads of clothes consecutively. Your dryer will be warm already so you’ll save energy.

- Make sure the lint filter in your tumble dryer is cleaned.

- If you’re buying a new tumble dryer, choose one with Electronic Humidity Control (EHC). It shuts the machine off automatically when clothes are dry instead of relying on a timer.

IRONING

- Only iron what really needs to be ironed. Certain clothing will appear ironed with careful folding.

- Iron large batches of clothes at a time. This saves the iron from needing to be reheated.

- Complete the last of your ironing with the iron switched off. An iron consumes as much energy as ten 100W light bulbs so let some of that stored energy work for you.

- Only use distilled or boiled water in a steam iron. This will keep it clean and energy efficient.

- Invest in a thermostatically controlled iron to prevent it from becoming hotter than you need.

Tips on Saving Electricity 3

1. Save on electric water heating

If you only use an electric water heater at certain times of the day, you’re wasting electricity keeping the water hot 24/7. To solve that problem, install an electronic timer switch (Photo 1; sold at home centers). Timers are available for 120- and 240-volt heaters. They can be programmed for daily or weekly schedules so you only heat the water when you need it. A timer can save you $25 per year.

To make your water heater even more efficient, drain the tank and flush out the sediment at the bottom (Photo 2). Otherwise, you could be heating through inches of sediment before heating the water.

If your electric water heater is warm or hot to the touch, it’s losing heat. Wrap it with an insulating blanket (sold at home centers).

2. Get smart metering

Smart metering programs vary among utility companies, but the basic idea is the same: The utility installs a special “smart” meter that tracks how much electricity you’re using. The utility uses that data to make sure its power grid doesn’t get overloaded and cause blackouts. If the grid nears capacity, the utility can shut off major appliances in homes for short periods of time (such as 15 minutes per hour). Not all companies offer smart metering, but some do and many others are considering it.

What’s in it for you? Money! Some programs pay for signing up. Others let you view your home’s usage online in real time so you can better manage your electrical consumption. Others let you choose “real-time” or “time-of-use” pricing that allows you to pay less for electricity that’s used during off-peak hours (for example, on weekdays from early afternoon until 8 p.m.). These plans reward you for using electricity when it’s cheapest. Smart metering makes the most sense if you’re away from home all day—you won’t notice or care if things get turned off (although it’s a good idea for everyone else too!). According to SRP, a power utility company, the plans cut 7 percent off your bill, which is $140 for the average $2,000 yearly energy bill. Check with your local company to find out what smart metering programs are available in your area.

3. Run your refrigerator for less

Your refrigerator uses more electricity than all your other kitchen appliances combined. To keep its energy costs down, clean the coils twice a year, which improves efficiency by 30 to 50 percent.

Your fridge and freezer run more efficiently when they’re full. Put water containers in the fridge and ice bags in your freezer to keep them filled. Keep the refrigerator setting between 35 and 38 degrees and the freezer between 0 and 5 degrees F.

Refrigerator door seals wear out over time. Test your seal by closing a dollar bill in the door. If it pulls out easily, replace the seal.

If your fridge was made before 2001, it’s using at least 40 percent more electricity than new Energy Star models. If you’re replacing your fridge, buy an Energy Star model and recycle your old one. Don’t hook up the old one in the basement or garage—an inefficient refrigerator costs as much as $280 a year in electricity. Any money you save buying food in bulk and storing it in an inefficient second fridge is lost in electric costs.

Tips on Saving Electricity 2

1. Kill Energy Vampires

Seventy-five percent of the electrical use by home electronics occurs when they’re turned off, according to the Department of Energy. These “energy vampires” suck electricity all day long—costing you an extra $100 each year. So if you’d like to keep that Ben Franklin in your wallet, unplug your electronics or plug them into a power strip, then turn off the strip.

Don’t worry about losing the settings on new computers and TVs. They have a memory chip that resets everything when you power back up. If you have an old VCR or other devices that flash when the power goes out, keep it plugged in. Some power strips have a few outlets that always have power even when you flip off the switch. This type of strip has a main outlet for the computer. When you turn off the computer, the strip also shuts down other devices, such as your scanner, printer or modem.

2. Clean out the lint of dryer efficiency 

A clogged lint screen or dryer duct drastically reduces the efficiency of your dryer, whether it’s gas or electric. Clean the lint screen after each load and clean the exhaust duct once a year. The cleaner shown here has an auger brush that attaches to a drill to clean out the ducts. It’s available at home centers.

Electric dryers use about $85 of electricity annually. A dirty lint screen can cause the dryer to use up to 30 percent more electricity ($25 per year), according to the Consumer Energy Center. Lint buildup is also a common cause of fires.

Dry loads of laundry back-to-back so the dryer doesn’t cool down between loads (a warm dryer uses less energy). And only run the dryer until the clothes are dry. Overdrying damages your clothes and runs up your electric bill. If you’re in the market for a new dryer and already have a gas line in the house, go with a gas dryer. A gas dryer is more efficient.

3. Change Furnace Fliter

Keeping your furnace (gas or electric) tuned up has two big benefits: It makes the furnace run efficiently and it prolongs the furnace’s life span. And you can perform the annual tune-up yourself in about three hours.

Change the filter every month of the heating season (or year-round if the filter is also used for A/C). Be sure you insert the new one so it faces the right way. The filter protects the blower and its motor; a clogged filter makes the motor work harder and use more power.

Tips on Saving Electricity

1.  Switch to CFL bulb

Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) is one of the quickest, easiest ways to save money—and a place everyone can start. CFLs use about 75 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. This can save you up to $35 in electric costs over the lifetime of each bulb. Switching to CFLs in the five most frequently used fixtures in your house will save about $60 per year, according to Energy Star.

Choose CFLs with the Energy Star label to get the greatest savings. Energy Star products have to meet energy-efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and the Department of Energy. When you shop, keep in mind that light fixtures with dimmers require special CFLs; read the label.

When your CFLs are finally spent, recycle them (to find locations, check with your trash hauler or local government).

2. Install small switches

Motion sensors (occupancy sensors) automatically turn lights on and off so you only get (and pay for!) light when you need it (Photo 1). Using motion sensors can save you $100 per year. Some motion sensors need to be manually turned on but turn off automatically. They’re great for bedrooms because they won’t turn on when you move in your sleep.

Some switches are installed in junction boxes; others are wireless. You can also buy light fixtures with built-in motion sensors. You’ll need special motion sensors for electronic ballasts that control CFLs. Special-order them at home centers or buy them on the internet.

Use timers to control bath fans so the fan will run for a preset time to air out the room and then automatically turn off (Photo 2). You can set the length of time you want the fan to run. Be sure the timer you buy is rated for motors, not just lighting (check the label).

3. Buy Energy Star Appliances

When you shop for appliances, look for the Energy Star label. It means the appliance meets certain energy-efficiency guidelines. The average household spends $2,000 each year on energy bills. Energy Star says that appliances bearing its label can cut those bills by 30 percent, for an annual savings of about $600. But you don’t have to replace everything to see a savings. Just replacing an eight-year-old refrigerator with a new Energy Star model can save $110 a year or more in electricity.

Not sure what to do with your old appliance? Recycle it. Don’t salvage and resell it—that only passes the electricity—hogging appliance along to someone else. Check with your utility company or local home center for programs for appliance pickup and recycling.

4. Service Your Air Conditioner

Roughly half of an average home’s annual energy bill (gas and electric), about $1,000, is spent on heating and cooling. Air conditioners placed in direct sunlight use up to 10 percent more electricity. If yours sits in the sun, plant tall shrubs or shade trees nearby—but don’t enclose the unit or impede the airflow. Place window units on the north side of the house or install an awning over them.

Keep your window or central air conditioner tuned up so it runs at peak efficiency. Every two or three years, call in a pro to check the electrical parts and the refrigerant.

If your central air conditioner is more than 12 years old, replacing it with an Energy Star model can cut your cooling costs by 30 percent and save maintenance costs. The payback for replacing a 12-year-old system is typically about eight years. An air conditioner’s efficiency level is measured by the seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER). The higher the number, the more efficient the unit. A 13 or 14 SEER rating is considered high efficiency.

Saving Electricity through Your Electronics

Electronics use a considerable amount of electricity while on standby, which means they draw power even when they’re not switched on. This isn’t eco-friendly behaviour because converting oil, water, or coal to electricity produces greenhouse gases. Some appliances — especially older ones — use up to 85 percent of the power on standby that they do while in use!

To reduce the standby loads in your home, turn electronics off at the outlet when they’re not in use:

• Check the living room/entertainment room where stereos and other electronics reside, and don’t forget to check around the kitchen, study, utility room, and bedrooms for appliances plugged in but not in use.
• Unplug all those cellphone and other small appliance chargers that use electricity even when they’re not charging anything.
• Plug appliances such as TVs and DVD players into a power strip to make it easy to turn them off completely. Instead of pulling the plugs from the wall sockets, you simply turn off the power strip. This works especially well if your appliances have a battery backup that maintains your channel and clock settings even if the power’s off.
  
  
  
  
  
  Switching off electronics for the night before switching off yourself saves the planet.
  
  
  Make it someone’s job to check the house every night before bed, turning off every switch that doesn’t have to be on. Just about the only items you need to leave on overnight are the fridge and freezer, the heating system and hot water heater, and the alarm clock — unless you have a wind-up or battery-operated alarm.