Energy and water saving tips from the City of
Abbeville
-
Cooling and heating account for more than half
of the electricity consumed in a residence. Move your air
conditioner's thermostat up a few
degrees when you leave home.
- Set
your water-heater to the "normal" setting or 120 degrees, unless the owner's
manual for your dishwasher requires a higher setting. Savings are 7%
to 11% of water heating costs.
-
Take shorter showers and save hundreds of
gallons of hot water per month for a family of four. Showers account
for two thirds of your water-heating costs. Cutting your showers in
half will reduce your water-heating costs by 33%.
-
Low-flow showerheads and faucets can significantly cut your hot-water
expenses, saving up to 10% on water-heater costs.
-
Do only full loads when using your dishwasher
and clothes washer. Using the cold-water setting on your clothes
washer reduces the washer's energy use by 75%.
- Many
new TV's VCR's, chargers, computer peripherals and other electronics use
electricity even when they are switched "off". Although these
"standby" losses are only a few watts each, they add up to over 50 watts
that are consumed all the time in a typical home. If possible, unplug
electronic devices and chargers-that have a block-shaped transformer on the
plug-when they are not in use. For computer scanners, printers and
other devices that are plugged into a power strip, simply switch off the
power strip after shutting down your computer.
-
Install weatherstripping or caulk leaky doors
and windows. Also install gaskets behind outlet covers. These
measures can save up to 10% on energy costs.
- Turn
off lights in unoccupied rooms.
-
Inside the home, choose work and play areas
with natural lighting whenever possible.
- By
replacing 25% of your incandescent lights in high-use areas with
fluorescents, you'll save about 50% of your lighting energy bill.
-
Turn faucets off while brushing teeth.
- Fill
second sink for rinsing dishes and/or don't let water run while washing
dishes by hand.
-
Use a chemical free container to collect
rainwater for watering potted plants.
- Hang
laundry outside to dry whenever possible.
-
Running ceiling fans on low to medium setting
will reduce cooling and heating costs considerably.
- Use
the energy saving cycle on dishwashers or air dry whenever possible.
-
Using a lower temperature setting on
refrigerators will reduce energy costs considerably.
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