Save at Home

Turn off unnecessary lights and wait to use heat-producing appliances until after 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. It’s also a good idea to close the blinds on south- and west-facing windows during the hottest part of the day.

Maintain your central air conditioner by cleaning the outside compressor with a garden hose. Be sure to shut off power at the fuse or breaker first.

If your home doesn’t have central air conditioning, try an attic or whole-house fan. The fan pushes hot air out through attic vents, lowering your homes’ temperature about five degrees in less than ten minutes. Attic fans cost less than $0.25 per day to operate.

Use ceiling fans to help circulate air throughout your home. A ceiling fan should run counter clockwise during the summer and clockwise during the winter.

Set the fan on your central air conditioner to “on” rather than “auto.” This will circulate air continuously, keeping the temperature in your home more consistent, plus help dehumidifying the air.

Plant a tree. One well-placed shade tree can reduce your cooling costs by 25%. For maximum benefit, place leafy shade trees to the south and west and evergreens to the north.

Raise the thermostat to about 78°F whenever you go to bed or leave the house. A Wi-Fi / Smart thermostat will do this for you automatically.

Make sure your window air conditioner is the proper size. It’s better to get one that’s too small than too large. A larger unit will turn off and on up more frequently and won’t do as good a job dehumidifying the air.

Switch to LED bulbs. LEDs use 90% less energy than typical incandescent bulbs and last 25x longer. Replacing just five bulbs can save $75 a year.

Use lighting control devices like dimmers, motion detectors, occupancy sensors and timers to provide light only when you need it.

Use light sensing LED nightlights to help you find your way through the house. LED nightlights cost pennies a year to operate and help light steps for safety.

Learn how to read the label on the bulb to make sure you are buying the bulb you need. A basic understanding of Lumens (Brightness) and Color Temperature (Light Appearance) can help you more effectively light your home.

Use solar lights to light walkways, patios and decks. The soft light will also attract fewer annoying insects.

Keep lamps away from thermostats; the heat produced can cause your furnace to run less than needed or your air conditioner more than needed.

Use only a single bulb in a multi-socket fixture. Be sure to check the maximum wattage the fixture allows.

Dust light fixtures/bulbs regularly. A heavy coat of dust can block up to 50% of the light output.

Replace an incandescent outdoor light or high-intensity floodlight with a high-pressure sodium fixture or LED bulb. The bulbs will last longer and use less energy.

Decorate with pale colors on walls, ceilings and floors. Soft tones reflect more light, so you can use lower wattage bulbs and delay turning on lights until later in the day. Using high-gloss paint can help as well.