Home Energy Efficiency Checklists

There are a number of different ways, in addition to insulating your home, to save energy and help ensure that your home is energy efficient. Use the following lists to find out what you can do to save additional energy.

Year-round you should do the following to maximize energy efficiency:

• Weatherize. Check for drafts around windows and doors with a piece of tissue paper attached to a string. If the paper moves, air is leaking in or out. Adding the proper amount of weather stripping and caulking can increase energy savings by up to 10%.
• Close off unoccupied rooms.
• Insulate hot water heater, pipes and ducts.
• Install water-saver shower heads or flow restrictors. These inexpensive devices will pay for themselves in a few months.
• Install energy-efficient doors and windows which can help reduce fuel costs up to 15%.
• Choose energy-efficient kitchen appliances. They may cost more initially, but can save you money by reducing your energy use.

When you're outside in the summer don't forget about your home. The following tips will help you maximize your home's energy efficiency.

• Turn off air conditioning when you go out. It takes more energy to maintain the temperature level of a cooled home than it does to bring it back to the desired temperature.
• Cool with fans whenever possible. They use as little as one-tenth the electricity used by an air conditioner.
• Save heat-producing activities such as washing and drying clothes indoors for summer's cooler evening hours.

Winter is generally the time of year when your house will use the most energy. The following tips will help maximize your home's energy efficiency.

• Once a year, clean and inspect all central heating equipment such as furnaces and boilers. The cleaner and more efficient they are, the bigger the energy savings. A properly adjusted furnace can help save you up to 10% in fuel consumption.
• Change furnace filters once a month.
• Close energy-stealing openings such as fireplace dampers.
• Set thermostat at 65°F in the day, 55° F at night.
• Vacuum radiators and registers frequently.
• Cover your window air-conditioning unit to prevent cold air from entering through the vents.