Conserving Energy: Daily Home Activities
Here are some ways families can conserve energy during household activities. Parents can also adjust energy use within the home itself.
Lights enable us to see in the dark, but there are many ways to save energy and still see.
• Use natural light whenever possible.
• Turn lights off when you leave the room.
• Use one light—like a desk lamp—rather than turning on ceiling lights.
• Use timers or motion sensor switches to regulate home lighting and minimize energy loss.
• Replace old light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs such as compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
We use a lot of energy to keep food cold and to cook it. With a few tweaks to kitchen habits, lots of energy can be saved.
• Use a covered kettle or pan to boil water.
• Make sure your refrigerator door seals tight.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer cold, but not too cold.
• Turn off kitchen exhaust fans within 20 minutes after cooking.
• Keep range-top burners and reflectors clean to reflect heat better.
• Match your meal size to the oven. Toaster ovens or microwaves should be used for small meals. Use the full-sized oven for big meals.
Being comfortable in our homes requires maintaining an acceptable temperature. You can keep comfortable and still conserve energy.
• Wrap your water heater in an insulation blanket.
• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.
• Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed.
• Select energy-efficient products when you buy new heating and cooling equipment.
• Install and use a programmable thermostat. During winter, set it for a comfortable, but low temperature. During summer, set it for a comfortable, but high temperature.