Tips to help you cut your home energy consumption and save money

You control your energy consumption

Air conditioning
(Air conditioning accounts for 40-50% of the annual electric bill in most Florida homes.)

1. In warm months, keep your home at 78° or warmer and raise your thermostat to 82° or warmer when you’re away from home.

2. Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically.

3. Clean or replace your air conditioner’s filter every month to hold down cooling costs and help your unit run more efficiently.

4. Ceiling fans don’t cool a room; they just make you feel cooler. Use them, but turn ceiling fans off when you leave the room.

5. Close the drapes or blinds to keep the sunlight out during warm months and open them to let the sunshine in during cold months.

6. In winter, heat your home to 68° or cooler and lower your thermostat to 65° or cooler at bedtime or when you’re away from home.

Water heating
(Possibly the second larges user of electricity in the home.)

1. Use less hot water.

2. Install a timer or cutoff switch.

3. Adjust the temperature on your water heater to 120° to save energy and reduce the risk of scalding.

4. Repair leaky faucets.

5. Use cold water and wash only full loads in your washer.

6. Install water-conserving showerheads and faucet aerators.

Kitchen
(Energy consumption is largely determined by your habits.)

1. Cook with your toaster or microwave oven whenever possible.

2. Use the self-cleaning cycle on your oven only for major cleaning jobs, and start the cycle when the oven is already hot.

3. Plan oven cooking so that several items can be prepared at one time.

4. Replacing a refrigerator that is more than ten years old, could save you $100 a year.

5. Automatic dishwashers use a third less hot water than hand washing.

6. Wash only full loads and use the rinse cycle in between.

7. If there is an energy-saving cycle use it to save run time and water.

8. Use no-heat drying.

Laundry
(Energy consumption is largely determined by your habits.)

1. Use cold water to wash clothes. Approximately 90% of the energy used to wash clothes is from heating the water.

2. Clean the lint filter before drying every load and don’t overload the dryer.

3. Use the auto sensor function on your dryer, if you have one, to avoid over-drying your clothes.

4. For the highest savings, hang the clothes outside to dry.

Lighting
(While not a large part of your electric cost, there are ways to save.)

1. Choose the right bulb. Compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) cost more, but last much longer.

2. Control your usage. Turn lights off when you leave the room for an extended period.

3. Use automatic devices (especially outdoors), such as dusk to dawn timers, photocells or motion detectors.

4. Take advantage of solar lights for outdoor paths.

Electronics
(Watch out for phantom electric usage.)

1. If you’re not using it – unplug it!

For more help, check out our Home Energy Management Guide and the Energy Scoreboard to help you keep track of your usage.

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Page last updated: Friday, March 5, 2010