Energy Saving Tips

 

  1. Plug home computers and peripherals into a control strip and shut everything off from the strip when you are done working. You'll avoid using unnecessary "standby" current.
     
  2. Put in garden plants to shade your air conditioning compressor (without restricting air flow). It can save up to 10% of your cooling cost.
     
  3. Replace some incandescent bulbs in household lamps with compact flourescent bulbs. They can save 75% of energy cost compared with a 100-watt incandescent bulb, and last longer.
     
  4. Ambitious energy savers can consider installing photovoltaic panels on home rooftops. A typical 2-kilowatt home setup produces 3,600 kilowatts per year. By comparison, a coal-fired powerplant needs 3.7 tons of coal per year to generate an equivalent amount of electricity.
     
  5. Consider buying EnergyStar-marked appliances to replace your old ones. On room air conditioners and fridges, the U.S. government-sponsored symbol means a 10% power saving below federal standards. For dishwashers it's 25% and for clothes washers, 50%.  Many utility companies such as DWP will give you sizable rebates for replacing old appliances with new ones which will help pay for the new appliance.
     
  6. Replace outdoor lighting with a motion-detector equipped bulb or fixture, and/or use solar outdoor lighting such as solar garden lights to light a walkway, garden, or driveway.
     
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  7. Lower your hot water heater to 120 degrees and drain any sediment.  While you're at it, add insulation to your hot water heater.  While normally only residents in freezing temperature climates (snow) insulate their water pipes under their houses to prevent them from freezing, even in southern California you'll realize an energy savings if you insulate your hot water pipes if they are exposed under your house and get cold during the night or during the winter months.  Look for the long, grey, foam pipe insulators that have a slit down the side, and just slip them over your hot water pipes that are exposed to cold weather.  You won't have to waste the cold water running through your plumbing before the hot water comes through, since if the insulation works you'll get started with warm water instead of cold water before the hot water comes through.
     
  8. Install a low-flow shower head.
     
  9. Check for and seal any cracks or gaps in your home, doorways, and windows especially.  Use weather strips from your local hardware store especially for gaps above or below your doors.
     
  10. Visit http://www.sierraclub.org/energy/conservation/index.asp for links to more energy saving tips.