SAVE ENERGY & WATER

Lower your temperature

• Turn down the thermostat at night and whenever the house is unoccupied, or purchase a programmable thermostat that will make the adjustments for you. Don’t heat unoccupied rooms. A nighttime set-back of 10 degrees Fahrenheit, could save 10-20 percent off your heating bill.
• Lower the temperature on your electric water heater to 120 degrees (F). Turn it off when leaving for extended periods of time.
• Set refrigerator temperatures between 37 and 40 degrees (F). Clean the coils. Keep the refrigerator stocked; it takes more energy to cool an empty refrigerator. 

Wash Right

• Wash full loads of dishes and air-dry or dry them by hand.
• When washing clothes, always do full loads, use warm or cold water to wash (instead of hot water) and rinse with cold water. Air-dry clothes outside whenever possible.
• Fix water leaks and dripping faucets immediately—a small leak can add up to gallons of water in a very short time.
• Take showers instead of baths, but limit showers to four minutes.

Turn it off

• Shut off lights, computers, and other electronic appliances when you’re not using them. Many computer monitors have a sleep mode setting that can greatly reduce energy usage.
• Use your drapes to help keep your home comfortable while saving energy. In the summer, keep drapes closed during the day to keep the temperature down. In the winter, open them during the day but close them at night to insulate against the chill.
• When leaving for vacations, adjust thermostats to save energy. Unplug and turn off all computers, TVs, and other electronics.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Use less Paper: Print double-sided

Set all of your printers to automatically print on both sides of the paper, cutting the amount of paper you use in half. Better yet, before you print, take a moment to consider if you really need a printed document.

Recycle

Use recycling bins in your home to collect paper, plastic, and glass. 

Compost

Use a composting bin to collect food waste. Many municipalities now collect food waste in your yard waste bin. Check with your local waste utility for options. 

Trade it

Host a day for your friends, family, and neighbors to bring books, CDs, games, and DVDs that they want to trade. Want to make it bigger? Contact your local community center to host a community-wide event.

Borrow instead of buying

Borrow from your library instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books. Share things with your friends instead of buying new. E-books are also a great alternative to printed versions.

Skip the bottled water

Drink tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste. Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you throughout your day.

Let the sunshine in

Rather than turning on the lights, use natural daylight whenever possible.