56 EASY WAYS TO SLASH HIGH ELECTRICITY

56 EASY WAYS TO SLASH HIGH ELECTRICITY

BILLS

1. Turn off lights in any room not being used.

2. Shut off dishwasher for dry cycle. Let your dishes "air dry".

3. Use a window fan instead of air conditioner whenever possible.

4. Turn off your TV, radio, record player when not in use.

5. Use large bulb instead of several small ones where bright light is

needed.

6. Use lamp shades with white liner. This reflects more light.

7. Replace incandescent with fluorescent bulbs wherever possible.

8. Teach all family members to turn off lights when leaving a room.

9. Don't use dishwasher or laundry equipment until you have a full

load.

10. Use outdoor lights only where they are needed.

11. Make sure your refrigerator and freezer door seals are airtight.

12. Save electricity by using old-fashioned clothesline for clothes

drying.

13. Keep air conditioning condenser shaded from sun or on

north side of house.

14. Vacuum or dust off coils of refrigerator and freezer regularly.

15. Turn off air conditioning when no one is home.

16. "Instant-on" TV sets use energy even when set is not turned on.

17. A full freezer uses less energy. Use bags of ice cubes to keep

filled.

18. Never overload clothes dryer and always clean lint filter after use.

19. Freezers and refrigerators that defrost automatically use more

energy.

20. Let hot foods cool before placing them in the refrigerator.

21. Remove clothes that require ironing from the dryer while they are

damp.

22. When replacing switches, consider installing solid state dimmer

switches.

23. Use low wattage night-light bulbs that now come in 4 and 7-watt

sizes.

24. Place your refrigerator in the coolest part of the kitchen.

25. Don't "over dry" clothing. It wastes energy and may damage

synthetics.

26. When going away for extended periods, set refrigerator at lowest

setting.

27. Turn off electric water heater when going away for vacations or

weekends.

28. Turn 3-way lamps down to lowest level for TV watching.

29. Choose light, reflective colors for room ceilings and walls.

30. Never connect any large appliance to an extension cord.

31. Decide exactly what you want before you open the refrigerator

door.

32. Defrost refrigerator regularly - when about 1/4 inch of ice has

formed.

33. "Long-life" light bulbs use more energy than standard life bulbs.

34. Turn off your iron when not using it.

35. Put light switches where they are easy to turn on and off.

36. Keep appliances clean and in good working order. They'll use

less energy.

37. When using air conditioning, set thermostat at 78 degrees or

higher.

38. Keep bulbs and lighting fixtures clean. Dust lowers light levels.

39. Eliminate unnecessary outdoor decorative lighting.

40. Plant shrubs and trees so that they will shade house during

summer months.

41. Use higher wattage bulbs only for reading and close work.

42. Insulating your attic will save on operating air conditioning (also

heating).

43. If you have a second refrigerator, ask yourself if you really need

it.

44. Keep the outside exhaust of your clothes dryer clean.

45. Buy appliances on the basis of cost plus operating costs, not

price alone.

46. Buy clothing made of fabrics that require little or no ironing.

47. Use hand tools in your workshop instead of power tools.

48. When using air conditioning, keep windows closed & close off

unused rooms.

49. Use reflector floodlights in directional lamps instead of standard

bulbs.

50. Buy only "no iron" sheets and pillow cases to save on ironing

energy.

51. Use adapters to convert table lamps into low-energy fluorescent

lamps.

52. Microwave ovens reduce cooking time by 15% to 20% and

save energy.

53. When shopping for new appliances, ask about energy-efficient

models.

54. Don't use several light bulbs where one will do the job.

55. Limit the use of appliances that use over 1,000 watts.

56. Check all energy bills closely. Errors can be costly.