WasteWatcher Tips
You can reduce your energy use and start lowering your bills by making some simple changes around your home. The following energy-saving tips cover practically everything that uses energy in your home from your lights to your heating and cooling system.
Whether it's putting on a sweater instead of turning up the heat or seeking out the advice of an expert, it's easy to conserve energy.
- Heating Tips
- Cooling Tips
- Lighting Tips
- Appliance Tips
- Cooking Tips
- Refrigerator and Freezer Tips
- Water Heating Tips
- Washer and Dryer Tips
- Dishwasher Tips
- Pool and Spa Tips
- Additional Tips
Heating Tips
- Lower your thermostat. 1°F makes a big difference. 68°F is recommended.
- Switch to a programmable thermostat. It automatically adjusts your home's temperature, saving you up to 20% on heating costs.
- Get your heating system tuned up by a service professional annually.
- Clean your furnace filter monthly.
- Keep doors leading outside closed as much as possible.
- Seal air ducts properly to prevent the leaks that develop over time.
- Open curtains during the day to let in the sun's heat. Close them at night to retain it.
- Close your fireplace flue when you're not using it.
- Install ceiling fans and set them at a slow speed to push warm air away from the ceiling and move it around the room.
- Insulate your attic. It's one of the most cost-effective savings measures you can take, and you can do it yourself.
- Seal your windows with caulk or weatherstripping.
- Replace single-pane windows with storm windows.
Cooling Tips
- Installing an air conditioner? Look for ENERGY STAR® models.
- Raise the thermostat. 6°F can save 10% on your cooling bill.
- Consider using a dehumidifier in lieu of air conditioning. With less humidity, you'll be comfortable at much higher temperatures.
- Use an exhaust fan to blow hot air out of your kitchen while cooking. The lower cooling costs far outweigh the electricity use of the fan.
- Open the doors on opposite sides of your house for cross ventilation instead of turning on your air conditioning.
- Avoid activities that add heat or humidity to your home during the hottest parts of the day.
- Plant shade trees to block the heat from the sun. As the trees grow, they can dramatically cut your cooling bills.
- Close the curtains during the day to keep heat from the outside from getting in. Open them at night to let the heat from the inside get out.
- Use an attic fan to get rid of the heat build-up in your attic.
- Don't install window air conditioners in sunny areas. They work best when kept cool. Install the unit on a north-facing wall, if possible.
- Seal any gaps along the sides of window air conditioners with foam insulation.
- Shut the vents in unoccupied rooms, save 5-10% on your cooling costs.
- Resist opening and closing doors.
Lighting Tips
- Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs). They use up to 75% less electricity and last up to 10 times longer.
- When replacing bulbs and fixtures, look for ENERGY STAR® products.
- Turn off lights. A typical bulb burning 24 hours per day will cost you about $75 annually.
- Invest in a timer that automatically turns your lights on and off.
- Clean fixtures and bulbs. Dust can absorb as much as 50% of the light.
- Use one bulb instead of multiple whenever possible. One 100-watt bulb produces the same amount of light as two 60-watt bulbs with 20% less energy.
- Use dimmers and 3-way bulbs to reduce your energy use by controlling the amount of light you need in a room.
Appliance Tips
- Turn computers off when not in use. Save as much as $100 per year on electricity.
- Enabling your computer's 'sleep' mode can cut its energy use in half.
- Screen savers don't save energy. Turning your monitor off does.
- When shopping for electronics like TVs and Monitors, look for ENERGY STAR® models.
Cooking Tips
- Preheat the oven and broiler only when necessary, like when a precise starting temperature is required.
- Turn off your oven a few minutes before the cooking time runs out. It'll retain enough heat to finish the job.
- Cook multiple dishes in the oven at one time.
- Don't open the oven door or lift pot lids. Each time you do it, the temperature drops 25-50°F, increasing your cooking time.
- If you use aluminum foil to catch drips in the oven, place it on the rack below the cookware.
- Once water boils, it doesn't get any hotter. Turn down the burner.
- Keep your oven and range clean.
- Use your microwave. Energy-efficient models use up to 75% less energy than conventional ovens.
- If time allows, thaw foods completely in the refrigerator before cooking. If pressed for time, the microwave is more efficient for thawing than the oven.
- Use the smallest pan possible. It takes less time to heat a smaller volume.
Refrigerator and Freezer Tips
- Get rid of your old second refrigerator. It could be costing you over $200 per year.
- Keep your refrigerator away from heat. Place it in a cool location, out of direct sunlight and away from appliances that generate heat.
- Check the door seals on your refrigerator by closing the door on a dollar bill. If you can easily pull the dollar out, you should replace the seal.
- Don't overload. Refrigerators operate most efficiently when full but not overloaded.
- Don't put hot food in the refrigerator. Allow leftovers to cool before putting them in the refrigerator.
- Give your refrigerator some space. Allow at least one inch on each side for good circulation to reduce its energy use by 10 percent.
- Buy ENERGY STAR® refrigerators and freezers.
- Defrost your freezer. When ice builds up, it runs much less efficiently.
- Keep your freezer between 0-5°F. Anything below is wasteful and unnecessary.
- Fill your freezer. It'll operate most efficiently while keeping your food frozen longer during a power outage.
Water Heating Tips
- Turn down your water heater. A 10°F reduction saves about 13% on water heating costs. Aim for 120°F.
- Insulate your water heater with an insulating blanket and save $50 annually.
- Fix leaking faucets. One drip per second can waste 400 gal of water a year.
- Upgrade your showerhead to a low-flow model and save 15,000 gal of water and $150 in water heating costs annually.
- Showers—especially with low-flow showerheads—use less gas than baths.
Washer and Dryer Tips
- Rinse with cold water, save about $25 per year.
- Purchase a front-loading washer. They use over 50% less energy, significantly less water, and less detergent.
- For heavily soiled clothes, instead of a heavy wash cycle, try soaking them and then using a shorter wash cycle.
- Adjust your load setting to match the size of the load. Smaller loads use less water.
- Eliminate small loads in the washer. Combine loads whenever possible.
- Don't overload the dryer. Overloading makes the dryer work harder.
- Keep the lint filter clean. Lint reduces airflow making the dryer work harder.
- Dry loads consecutively to take advantage of heat build-up in your dryer.
- Line dry clothes.
Dishwasher Tips
- Skip pre-rinsing. Newer dishwashers can handle heavily soiled dishes and require less pre-rinsing than older models.
- Load dishes according to the dishwasher manufacturer's instructions to take full advantage of the spraying action of your dishwasher.
- Wash full dish loads. Your dishwasher uses the same amount of water, regardless of how many dishes are washed.
Pool and Spa Tips
- Use a pool cover to save energy and reduce water evaporation. For a 450 square foot pool, you'll save about 4,000 gal annually.
- Lower your pool's temperature to save energy and use less chemicals to treat it. Shield it from wind to prevent heat loss and evaporation.
- Turn off your hot tub when not in use. An electric hot tub costs roughly $4 to heat from 70 to 100°F and about $1 per day to maintain it.
- Lower your hot tub's temperature.
- Cover your hot tub whenever it's not in use. If you use electricity to heat it, you'll save up to $50 per year.
Additional Tips
- The Peoples Gas Natural Gas Savings Program offers rebates for energy-efficient upgrades to your home. There are also federal tax credits available for the purchase of qualifying ENERGY STAR® appliances.
- Dig Safely. Call before you dig in your yard to find out how we can help you identify the location of gas lines.
- For Chicago locations: Call DIGGER at 312-744-7000
- For locations outside the city: Call JULIE at 811, or 800-892-0123
- Install Carbon Monoxide (CO) Detectors. Illinois law requires every home to have one within 15 ft. of sleeping areas.
- The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program assists customers with paying outstanding bills, reconnecting their service and keeping their home's energy on. To learn more, call 800-571-2332.