Lighten Up Your Energy Use At Home To Save Big Bucks

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Around 35% of all electricity produced in the U.S. is used to run homes. Homes also contribute to air pollution, including 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. The EPA estimates that each homeowner could reduce home electricity use by 30% by just using energy more wisely and purchasing energy efficient products. The most energy intensive appliances used in the home are: water heater 16%, refrigerator 12%, air conditioning/heat 8-30% (depending on climate), lights 7%.

Tips:

• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They last up to seven times longer and use much less energy, saving up to 75 percent on electricity bills.
• Use cold water , instead of hot water for laundry and dishwashing machines. Purchase Energy Star appliances when replacing old ones.
• Close the vents in unused rooms and shut the door so that you are heating or cooling a smaller area of the house.
• Install a programmable thermostat and set it for 72 in the summer
• Plant shrubs or trees to shade your air conditioning unit.
• Purchase green power . If available in your area, purchase 100% green power from a company and prevent 3800 to 6200 lbs of CO₂ from entering the atmostphere.
• Replace older windows with newer, better-insulated windows. 10 to 24% of heat loss occurs through windows.

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Related articles

• You: The Top 7 Ways to Conserve Money, Energy (via ABC News: ABCNews) (abcnews.go.com)
• Twelve Rules of Energy Efficient Building (dilbert.com)
• US Can Cut Emissions 34% With Improvements to Building Efficiency (matternetwork.com)