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Home Energy Saving Tips - From Efficiency Maine, Public Utilities Commission
Look around your home. There are simple things you can do to save money on your electric bill. We encourage you to select one of the topics below if you are interested in saving energy and money at home. Remember that when it comes to saving, every bit counts!
Please note that the savings referenced are for a typical household. In addition, the savings percentages apply only to the category of energy use. For example, using fluorescent lamps saves 30 to 38 percent of your lighting bill, not your total electric bill. The figures cannot be added to find your total savings.
Lighting
- Turn off lights whenever they are not needed, even for one second.
- Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). CFLs can give the same amount and quality of light as incandescent bulbs, yet use one-third the amount of energy and last ten times longer. Savings: 30-38 percent of lighting costs.
- Use dimmer switches or timers on lights. Savings: 7-10 percent of lighting costs.
- Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing lighting fixtures. These fixtures meet federal energy-efficiency and quality guidelines, without a sacrifice in performance. These lights also operate at cooler temperatures.
- Replace halogen floor lamps and torchieres with compact fluorescent models. Halogen floor lamps pose a fire hazard due to the extremely hot temperatures produced by the high-wattage bulbs and cost more to operate. An energy-efficient compact fluorescent model produces as much light, runs cooler, and uses only a fraction of the electricity.
- Keep bulbs and fixtures clean. Dirt will absorb the light and reduce the efficiency.
Heating and Insulating your Home
- Seal any leaks in your heating or cooling system ducts. Also fix leaks in water/steam heat pipes. Savings: 5-25 percent of heating/cooling costs.
- Insulate attic access and basement trap doors with R-19 insulation. Savings: 1-3 percent of heating/cooling costs.
- You can cut your heating costs up to 25% simply by installing proper ceiling insulation to at least R-30 standards. Insulate walls, floors and heating ducts, too. This insulation will not only keep heat from escaping, but will also make your home more comfortable.
- By caulking and weather-stripping, you can cut your heating bills up to 10%. Weather-strip doors and windows, and caulk air leaks around windows, doorframes, pipes and ducts.
- Use clear plastic sheets to insulate windows during the heating season. Savings: 2-7 percent of heating/cooling costs.
- Repair any holes in your roof, walls, doors, ceilings, windows and floors. Savings: Up to 10 percent of heating/cooling costs.
- Seal off electric receptacles and switch boxes with foam gaskets or fiberglass insulation. Savings: 1-3 percent of heating/cooling costs.
- Install storm or thermal (replacement) windows. These tightly fitting windows give the benefit of double-pane glass. Air trapped between the two panes acts as a thermal insulator, keeping your heated air inside where it belongs. Be sure to get windows that have the new super-efficient low-emissivity glazing.
Cooling your Home
- If you are going to buy a room air conditioner, look for the ENERGY STAR® label. ENERGY STAR® room air conditioners exceed minimum federal standards for energy consumption by at least 10%.
- Do not let the air conditioner bake in the sun. Room air conditioners work best when kept out of direct sunlight. Install them near shade trees or on the north side of the house if possible.
- Seal gaps along the sides of your air conditioner to keep the outside air from seeping in.
- Clean air conditioner filters regularly, keep the front and back of air conditioners unobstructed.
- In warmer weather, delay heat-producing tasks, such as dishwashing, baking, or doing laundry, until the cooler evening hours.
- Use an exhaust fan to blow hot air out of your kitchen while cooking. The savings in your cooling costs far outweigh the electricity use of the fan.
- Instead of an air conditioner, open windows on opposite sides of the house for cross-ventilation.
- Use fans in your windows to draw in cooler night air. Close the windows during the day to keep the cooler air in.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. Standard incandescent light bulbs lose 90% of their energy as heat. Compact fluorescent bulbs produce only a fraction of the heat and do not waste electricity.
- Close window blinds, curtains, shades, or drapes in the daytime summer hours. Sunlight shining in windows usually adds the largest amount of unwanted summertime heat. During some of our hottest weather, it's even helpful to keep the windows themselves closed to keep hot air from blowing into your home. In the evening and early in the morning, open windows to allow cooler air in.
- Plant shade trees to block heat from your windows and roof.
Appliances and Other Products
- Select products with the ENERGY STAR® label when buying new appliances for your home. Savings: 5-25 percent of operating costs.
Refrigerators
- Unplug and properly dispose your extra refrigerator if it's used mainly for occasional cold drinks or ice cubes. You could reduce your annual energy bill by as much as $160 by doing so.
- Open refrigerator/freezer doors only when necessary.
- Keep refrigerator coils (on the back or the bottom of the appliance) clean.
- Make sure the seals on your refrigerator, freezer and oven doors fit tightly. Easily perform this test by leaving a lit flashlight inside a closed appliance and if you see light around the gasket, replace the gasket.
Clothes Washers
- Use lower temperature settings. Use warm or cold water for the wash cycle instead of hot, and only use cold for rinses. The temperature of the rinse water does not affect cleaning, so always set the washing machine on cold water rinse.
- Load the washing machine to capacity. Washing one large load will take less energy than washing two loads on a low or medium setting. When you don't have a full load, match the water level to the size of the load.
Dryers
- Clean the dryer filter after each use. A clogged filter will restrict airflow and reduce dryer performance.
- In good weather, consider hanging clothes to dry outside... it's free!
- Don't over-dry clothes that you are going to iron. Take clothes out while they are still slightly damp to reduce the need for ironing - another big energy user. Over-drying can cause shrinkage, generates static electricity, and shortens fabric life.
- Dry full loads when possible, but be careful not to overfill the dryer, because air needs to circulate around the clothes.
Cooking Appliances
- Don't preheat your oven, and use the smaller of the two ovens if you have a dual unit. Cook complete meals of several dishes simultaneously in the oven.
- If you have a microwave oven, use it for reheating and cooking small quantities of food.
- Cook on range top burners when practical instead of in the oven.
- Use the smallest pan necessary to do the job. Smaller surfaces require less energy. Match the pan size to the element size. For example, a 6" pan on an 8" burner can waste over 40% of the heat produced by the burner.
Dishwashers
- Operate your dishwasher only with full loads. And if the manufacturer's instructions permit, open the door of the dishwasher at the end of the last rinse cycle, rather than using the drying cycle.
- Choose a dishwasher with several wash cycle selections. If your dishes are only slightly dirty, you can use the light or energy-saving wash cycle, it uses less water and runs for a shorter period of time.
- Choose the right size for your home. Standard capacity models hold more than 8 places settings and 6 serving pieces. Compact capacity models hold 8 place settings and six serving pieces or less. If you have to operate a compact model more frequently, you may actually use more energy than you would with a standard model over time.
Water Heaters
- Set your water heater thermostat at the lowest temperature that provides you with sufficient hot water, but not lower than 120° F. For most households, 120° F water is fine. If you use a lot of hot water, you may need to set the temperature higher to provide enough hot water for your needs.
- Wrap your water heater with a water heater blanket, especially if it's in an unheated area of your home. The blanket could save you up to 10% on water heating costs.
Other
- Install energy-saving showerheads in your home. You'll reduce hot water use and cut water costs by 10% to 16% without affecting comfort.
- Repair all leaky faucets. One drop per second can waste as much as 10 gallons of water in a week.
- Prevent heat loss and reduce your waterbed's electric use up to 20% by covering it with bedspreads or quilts as soon as you get up. A layer of cardboard between the bed and the frame or an insulation kit designed for waterbeds will also insulate your waterbed against further heat loss. Consider replacing the water bed with a standard mattress to save even more in energy costs.
Efficiency Maine Energy Facts
- During 2003 – 2005, the Efficiency Maine Program saved home owners, schools, and businesses more than 121 million kilowatt hours (kWh) with a lifetime economic benefit to the state of $86.6 million,.
- In 2006, Efficiency Maine saved more than 74 million kWh, which helped avert the production of more than 320,000 tons of carbon dioxide, a major pollutant contributing to global warming. These savings are equivalent to the annual electricity use of nearly 11,000 homes in Maine and the carbon pollution reduction of taking 7,624 cars off the road.
Efficiency Maine is a statewide effort to promote the more efficient use of electricity, help Maine residents and businesses reduce electricity costs and improve Maine’s environment. It was created in 2002 by the Maine Legislature with the passing of “An Act to Strength Energy Conservation.” For more information on the annual report or energy efficiency, visit the PUC’s Efficiency Maine website at www.efficiencymaine.com or call 1-866-ESMAINE.
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Public Utilities Commission 
