Twelve Easy Ways to Save Energy, cont.

1. When you're at home, keep thermostats set for energy economy.
2. When you go to sleep, set thermostats for low energy use.
3. When you go out, set your thermostats for low energy use.
4. If a room is not in use, don't heat or cool it more than necessary.
5. Adjust heating and cooling systems to work more efficiently.
6. Cool your home the natural way.
7. Let the sun help heat your home in cold weather.
8. “Button up” your home to retain cool or heated air.
9. Keep your body comfortably warm or cool.
10. Use less hot water in the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry.
11. Use your lights, TV, and other appliances wisely.
12. Buy more energy-efficient light bulbs.

6. Cool your home the natural way.
   In summer, the more cool air you let in the better—particularly at night. Experiment to see which windows and doors to open for the best airflow. During the day, keep the sun's heat out by adjusting shades, blinds, draperies and awnings.

   Let hot air out through vents in your attic, or by opening the upper part of double hung slash windows and, in two-story homes, the upstairs windows.

   Cut shrubs or tree foliage that interferes with cooling breezes through windows, but be careful not reduce any of the shade that they might offer.

   Remember that electric fans can be a big help. An exhaust fan in a window can push out warm air and pull in cool air. Additionally, a window fan is more economical to run than an air conditioner.

   Exhaust fans in the attic will push hot air out one end of the attic and pull cooler air in at the other end; a cooler attic benefits the living area right beneath it. A “whole-house” fan mounted in the attic is even better.

7. Let the sun help heat your home in cold weather.
   Even in the coldest California winters, the sun shines brightly sooner or later. Let it in. Remember to pull up the shades or open the draperies or blinds on the sunny side of your house to let in those warm rays.

   Trim or remove evergreens that may block the sun from coming in, but only if they aren't needed even more in summer for shade.

   Finally, use sunny rooms more often. Find a sunny room and make yourself comfortable.

8. “Button up” your home to retain cool or heated air.
   In summer, once your house is cool, keep it that way. Close blinds and draperies in the morning to retain the coolness, as well as insulate against the heat of a sunny day.

   In winter, for extra insulation, close your curtains and draperies at night and on overcast days when no warm sunlight is shining in.

   A NOTE ABOUT FIREPLACES: They're fun and romantic, but not particularly useful when it comes to generating heat for your home as most of it goes up the chimney. As the hot air rises, it acts like a vacuum chute, actually drawing warm air from the room and the rest of your house. Meanwhile, if you have leaks, cracks and gaps in your windows, doors, and walls, chilly outside air finds its way in.

9. Keep your body comfortably warm or cool.
   It's easier to keep your body at a comfortable temperature than it is your whole house. Dress for the weather. In summer, loose fitting clothes, open collars, and open-weave materials help. Choose natural fibers rather than synthetics.

   Keep air moving, it will help evaporate perspiration from your skin. And, think about the purchase of a dehumidifier, as dry air is better able to accept the moisture that evaporates and cools your skin when you perspire.

   In winter dress warm, avoid drafts, and keep the air moist. A humidifier can help. Keep the air in the forty percent humidity range.

10. Use less hot water in the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry.
    Take short showers instead of baths and you'll save money. A low-flow showerhead will save even more. Don't run the hot water tap unnecessarily while you wash or shave. And, if you use dishwashers at home, do larger loads. It takes just as much energy to wash a partial load in a dishwasher as it does a full load.

    The same can be true for washing clothes. Try to wait for full loads and use cool water with the appropriate detergents to wash your clothes. Finally, try drying your clothes outside on nice days.

11. Use your lights, TV, and other appliances more wisely.
    Turn off the lights and the TV when you're not in the room. It's just common sense, but it's commonly ignored.

    Use the right appliance for the job. Use the range-top burner that is the right size for the pot, don't toast bread in a powerful oven broiler when you can use a toaster, and turn down the lights when you're watching TV.

    A NOTE ABOUT YOUR REFRIGERATOR: An ice build-up will make a non-frost-free type refrigerator less efficient. Defrost such a refrigerator when necessary. Set temperatures at 38 degrees Fahrenheit to forty degrees Fahrenheit for the fresh food compartment and five degrees Fahrenheit for the freezer compartment (since thirty-two degrees is the temperature at which water freezes, five degrees is plenty cold enough). If you have a separate freezer for long-term storage, however, it should be kept at zero degrees. Invest in a good thermometer to help find the right settings.

12. Buy a better light bulb.
    Choose fluorescents over incandescents every time. They might be a bit more expensive when you purchase them, but they last as much as ten times longer and are much cheaper to operate.

    Make sure electric lighting is not brighter than necessary and don't use many smaller bulbs when fewer, larger bulbs would do. Look for energy-saver bulbs, and try to remember that “long life” bulbs are usually not energy savers and in fact may use more energy than ordinary bulbs.

If you have additional questions, call the Energy Conservation Hotline at 408-244-SAVE (7283) or send an email to cutcosts@siliconvalleypower.com.

If you are interested in water conservation, call 408-615-2014 or visit the City of Santa Clara's Water Conservation Page.