Tips to Lower Your Electric Bill Today

Heating Tips for Winter

Heating is the single biggest energy use in homes.  To hold down fuel costs and provide reliable comfort:

• Check the filters in your warm air heating system monthly and replace or clean them when they become dirty
• Check your attic, basement, crawlspace, windows, doors, dryer vent, etc. for possible air leakage, and seal leaks with caulking or add insulation as needed
• Replace worn weather-stripping on exterior doors, windows and attic entry doors
• Set your thermostat to the lowest comfortable temperature, or install a programmable thermostat to automatically turn down the heating when you are sleeping or not at home

Refrigerator & Freezer Tips

Refrigerators and freezers can use 20% of household energy.  To maximize these appliances’ efficiency:

• Clean the condenser coils at the back or bottom of the refrigerator twice a year to maximize cooling.
• Cover and wrap foods before storing.  Uncovered foods and liquids release moisture and drive up electricity costs.
• Got a second, older refrigerator or freezer in the garage?  Unplug it and remove the door (for safety).  It can cost up to $130 per year.  Use it only when you need extra food storage capability.

Laundry Tips

Ninety percent of the energy your washer uses goes toward heating water. You can save energy dollars by using cold water.

• Run the washer only when you have a full load of laundry.
• Dry heavy and light fabrics separately to keep drying time to a minimum. Mixing different weight fabrics causes the dryer to run longer.
• Clean the lint filter before each load. Lint buildup blocks air flow and lengthens drying time.
• Hang clothes on a clothesline instead of using the dryer.

Hot Water Use

The water heater is the second largest energy user in most homes. To save water and improve your water heater efficiency:

• Lower the water temperature to 120 degrees F.  Don’t forget that electric water heaters have two thermostats.
• Fix leaking faucets.
• Use low-flow shower heads and faucets.

Dishwashers

Eighty percent of the energy used in automatic dishwashers goes toward heating water.

• Run the dishwasher only when it is full. Running a half-filled dishwasher twice uses two times as much energy as running a full load once.
• Use the energy saving control on many dishwashers to turn off the heat during the drying cycle, or open the dishwasher after the rinse cycle to let the dishes air dry.

Cooking Tips 

• Use your microwave oven, toaster oven, or slow-cook crockpot, instead of your regular stove/oven to cook foods more quickly and use substantially less energy than regular ovens.
• Minimize preheat time and don’t peek!  You lose up to 25 degrees of heat every time you open the oven door.
• Use the smallest pan necessary for stovetop cooking.  It takes less energy to heat them.  And, remember to cook with lids on, to keep the heat in the pan.

Lighting Tips  

Lighting can account for about 15% of a home's electric use. To save energy and money:

• Replace lights in your home with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or low emitting diodes (LEDS). CFLs last 10 times longer and use 75% less electricity.
• Turn off lights when you leave the room.
• Use motion-detector and photo-sensor outdoor lighting.
• Use daylight in place of electrical lighting.

Other Saving Tips

• Unplug energy vampires -- equipment such as computers, TVs, cell phone chargers, etc. that continue to use electricity even when “off” or in the “sleep mode”
• Use stairs – two floors down, one floor up – instead of using the elevator.

You can also save electricity by making small investments.

• Have your central air conditioners tuned up to operate at their highest efficiency.
• Install a smart thermostat and use the set-back feature when you don’t need as much cooling.
• Look for the Energy Star label when purchasing appliances and equipment.

For more information, see The Virginia Energy Savers Handbook at http://www.dmme.virginia.gov.

Prepared by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy.