|
1. Sign up for your Utility’s time-of-use plan. Many regional power suppliers offer rebates for reducing electricity consumption during peak-demand periods.
Cost: Washing cloths and dishes at night during nonpeak hours, and turning the thermostat down (or up) a couple of degrees during a cold snap (or heat wave)
Savings: $25 to $50 per month off your energy bills
2. Close closet doors and shut vents and doors to rooms you’re not using to lower the square footage you’re heating (and cooling).
Cost: A few minutes of time to check that closet doors are closed
Savings: about $50 per year off your energy bill
3. Get gently used tools, electronics, and furniture through freecycle.org, a community of people who swap what they no longer need for stuff they can’t do without.
Cost: Fellow freecyclers expect you to donate stuff too
Savings: $100 for a new-to-you kitchen table, for example
4. Install dimmer switches and use efficient halogen bulbs, rather than incandescent. Dimmable compact fluorescents (CFLs) are even thriftier, but some flicker at a low power.
Cost: $25 fir dimmers and $10 for two CFLs
Savings: $20 per fixture on electricity over 3 years
5. Get rid of the extra fridge. It’s likely more that 10 years old, inefficient and sapping tons of electricity. Many utility companies collect old fridges for free or even pay money for them.
Cost: No Cost
Savings: up to $200 per year off your electric bill
6. Schedule a furnace or boiler tune-up every year to boost efficiency.
Cost: $100 to $150. Get estimates from plumbers and your energy supplier
Savings: $ $200 per year in energy costs
7. Make your own Cleaning Solutions using inexpensive kitchen staples such as white vinegar and baking soda. See thegreenguide.com for recipes.
Cost: A few bucks in extra pantry supplies
Savings: 4%0 or more per year on cleansers
8. Buy a deluxe battery-recharging station and stop using alkaline batteries. A combo unit keeps a supply of AA, AAA, C, and D batteries at the ready.
Cost: $40 for the La Crosse Technology BC-9009 AlphaPower Charger and assorted NiMH batteries (the best kind); amazon.com
Savings: as much as $100 per year on batteries
9. Turn down the Thermostat on your water heater. It’s probably set at 140F to shorten wait time for a steamy shower, but 120F or even 110F is plenty hot.
Cost: A few minutes with a screwdriver in the utility room
Savings: $30 or more per year on gas, oil, electricity or propane
10. Install an under-sink water filter, and stop buying expensive bottled water.
Cost: $59 for a 3M Professional system; at mass retailers
Savings: $360 per year on purified water
11. Plug in a Smart Strip. Three-quarters of the energy electronics burn is consumed while the equipment is turned off. Try hooking them up to a Smart Strip surge protector, which automatically kills power to electronics when you turn them off and returns it when you switch them back on.
Cost: $31 for a 10-outlet strip; amazon.com
Savings: as much as $240 per year in energy costs
12. Plant a deciduous tree on the south, west or east side of your house. Once mature, it will shade your roof and cut your cooling costs.
Cost: $25 - $70, depending on the tree
Savings: About $120 per year on your air conditioning costs
13. Appeal your property –tax assessment yourself. There’s a good chance you’re being overcharged. One in three homeowners who appeals are successful in getting their tax bill reduced, according to the national Taxpayers Union.
Cost: $7 for a How to Fight Property Taxes brochure; ntu.org
Savings: As much as $400 per year off your tax bill
14. Shop for phone, electric and cable service at whitefence.com. It’s like Travelocity for utilities. Enter your zip code and address to see all the providers in your area, as well as what they charge.
Cost: A few minutes online
Savings: Up to $150 per year off utility bills
15. Replace central-air-conditioning filters every month during the summer to keep air flowing freely through the ducts and reduce strain on the unit.
Cost: About $11 for 3 filters (recycled filters are available at many
Savings: 1 to 2 percent on cooling costs
This article was adapted from This Old House.
|
Ladybug McGreen's Blog 
