With everyone reeling at the high cost of energy, Consumer Reports has put together a list of 20 free ways to reduce energy costs. Here’s the short list:
- Wash clothes in cold water.
- Use a clothesline to dry laundry.
- Don’t overdry your laundry.
- Don’t pre-rinse dirty dishes in the sink before loading in the dishwasher. Just scrape the food off with a fork.
- Put your PC to sleep.
- Turn down the heat in the winter, and turn down the cool in the summer.
- A cold hearth for a warmer house.
- Lower the shades and raise the windows.
- Use fans instead of air conditioning.
- Clean the air conditioner’s filter.
- Set the hot water heater at 120 degrees F (or the “low” setting), which is hot enough for most needs.
- When possible, use the microwave instead of the oven.
- Use the right sized pan on the oven burner.
- When buying a new appliance, check the label that gives an estimate of annual energy consumption.
- Slow cookers use much less energy than pots left simmering on an stove.
- Clean the coils on the refrigerator.
- Drive steadily and slower.
- Roof racks, even empty ones, reduce efficiency.
- Use regular gasoline.
- Don’t let your car idle for any longer than necessary.
Read the explanation of each bullet point on Consumer Reports’ GreenerChoices.org Web site.
Credit: “20 Ways to Save Energy”