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.
LIGHTING:
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).
FOOD PREPARATION:
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.
HEATING AND COOLING:
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.