Cromwell Hills Phase I

20 Electricity Conservation Tips

1. Winter: Set your home’s thermostat a few degrees lower. For each one-degree change, your family can save up to 5 percent on your home’s heating and cooling costs.

2. Use the microwave instead of the oven for cooking your meals

3. Use machines like washers, dryers, and dishwashers after 8 p.m.

4. Save hot water by taking short showers instead of baths.

5. Keep the inside surface of your microwave clean. It will cook your food more efficiently.

6. Use the smallest pans possible. It takes less energy to heat them.

7. For electric burners, use pots that fit the size of the burner.

8. Turn off lights when you are not using them. One 100- watt bulb left on all night costs about $25 over 12 months.

9. Wash and dry only full loads. The machine uses about the same amount of water whether you was a full load or just one item.

10. Separate your laundry into loads of slow and fast drying clothes.

11. Don't add wet items to a load in the dryer that has already been started.

12. Clean the lint filter after every load. Clogged filters drive up drying costs.

13. Let hot food cool before putting it in the refrigerator. Then the refrigerator will use less energy.

14. Keep the freezer full. It is more efficient than a freezer that is almost empty. You can put plastic containers filled with water in the freezer to fill up the space.

15. Install a programmable thermostat. Make sure it is programmed to automatically turn down the heating or cooling when you are not home and when you're sleeping.

16. Summer: Use ceiling fans. They make people feel about four-degrees cooler than the actual temperature.

17. Turn off ceiling fans when you are not in the room. The fans cool you, not the air.

18. Reverse the ceiling fan motor in summer.

19. Summer: Set thermostat at 78 degrees F or higher if you use the ceiling fans. You save 3-5 % on your air conditioning cost for each degree you raise the thermostat.

20. Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Using a power strip makes it easier to conserve electricity because you just have to unplug one cord instead of many. Also unplug any chargers that aren't in use because they still use electricity even when they're not actively charging something