Conservation Tips

Are you doing your part to make a difference in your home and your environment?  Follow these quick and easy steps and you'll go green and save green;

• Convert all incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent or LED bulbs.  Replacing just one regular light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb will save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year or more with LED's
  
  
• By choosing ENERGY STAR rated appliances, you can expect to save 30% to 40% on your energy bills

• When upgrading your furnace, consider a model with an ECM motor. These high efficiency motors offer up to 70% reduction in electricity use for continuous fan usage - that's over $300 in savings.

• Replace or clean your furnace filter once a month for optimal efficiency. Consider having your heating and cooling equipment serviced once a year to ensure maximum performance and efficiency.



• Conserve water and take a five minute shower, it uses half the water of a bath
  
  
• Plug computers and home electronics into power bars and turn the power bars off when not in use to avoid drawing energy



• Maximize passive solar power by opening and closing the blinds in order to heat and cool your home
  
  
• In the kitchen, use pressure cookers, microwaves and toaster ovens instead of the conventional oven



• Upgrade to an ENERGY STAR rated water heater or consider a tankless water heater that only heats water when you need it



• Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust temperatures at night or when you're not home



• Do your part at home and at work. Adjusting your power settings on your computer to switch it into standby mode saves up to 90% energy versus using a screensaver.