energy quick tips

• Weatherize and insulate your home
  Save $100 yearly
• Turn off lights and switch to CFLs
  Save $30 per bulb/year
• Adjust your thermostat to 72° in the summer and 68° in the winter
  Save $150 yearly
• Turn off electronics when not in use
  Save $30 yearly
• Buy Energy Star certified laundry machines
  Save $200 yearly

energy links

• WV Division of Energy
• Energy Star
• Efficient Windows
• Alliance to Save Energy
• Flex Your Power

weatherization

Every year, insufficient weatherization and insulation leads to $13 billion worth of energy leaks from small holes and cracks in American homes. A crack around a window as small as 1/16th of an inch (that’s thinner than your fingernail) is like leaving the window open 3 inches.

Considering that the average American family spends $1600 on home energy bills annually, thus releasing 11.3 metric tons of CO₂ emissions, weatherization provides ample opportunity to save money and reduce our carbon footprint. Weatherization and insulation kits that include caulk, plastic window sheeting, and other useful products are widely available at hardware stores.

Additional Resources

Fact Sheet:
Selecting Energy Efficient Windows in West Virginia

• Home Energy Magazine
• U.S. Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program

Save $ and Reduce Pollution

• Proper home weatherization and insulation can reduce pollution by as much as 5,143 lbs of CO₂ per year
• Closing off unused rooms can save $100 per year.
• Sealing large air leaks around your home can save as much as $80 and reduce CO₂ emissions by nearly 1,500 lbs per year.

lighting

Lighting is one of the first steps we can make around the home to conserve energy. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use one-quarter of the electricity and last eight to ten times as long as traditional incandescent light bulbs, thus saving about $30 over each bulb’s lifetime.

Unlike incandescent light bulbs, CFLs are more efficient as the bulbs generate about 75% less heat. Tube fluorescent light fixtures can also be converted from magnetic to electronic ballasts and downsized from t-12 to t-8 to save money and reduce your electricity bill

Additional Resources

• Energy Star Light Bulbs and Fixtures
• Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: Lighting and Daylighting

Save $ and Reduce Pollution

• Replacing a single incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) may save more than 400 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions over the bulb’s lifetime, comparable to preventing 200 lbs of coal from being burned.
• If every household in WV replaced 5 incandescent bulbs with 5 CFLs, we would reduce our CO₂ emissions by 100,000,000 pounds and prevent greenhouse gases equal to removing 10,000 cars from the road.

heating and cooling

Home heating and cooling makes up nearly half of your home energy bill. Think about how you can change your behaviors to save money on your energy bill.

Put on another layer instead of turning up the heat. An even better way to save money on heating is to invite some friends over – every person generates the same amount of heat as a 100-watt heater.

Install a programmable thermostat so the heat is automatically turned down when you are at work and asleep. As it gets warm out, keep windows and shades closed during the day and open them at night to maximize cooling and avoid a heat trap. Keep the ceiling fan running while the air conditioner is on to improve efficiency.

Additional Resources

• American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Consumer Resources

Save $ and Reduce Pollution

• Lower the thermostat to 68° or lower in cold weather and 78° or higher in warm weather to save close to $150 a year. Every degree you avoid in heating will reduce your heating bill by about 5%.
• Installing a programmable thermostat can help you reduce your CO₂ emissions by 1,071 lbs.
• Households in West Virginia can save between $40 and $85 in heating energy by lowering the thermostat one degree (depending on heating fuel).

appliances and electronics

Many appliances and electronics use power even when are turned off. This "phantom" power loss is costly—responsible for nearly 5% of U.S. household electricity and adding around $70 to your annual electricity bill. Given that almost 40% of the energy used by electronics is used while these appliances are off, the easiest approach is to unplug electronics when not in use or plug them into a power strip. Whenever possible, program appliances to use the energy-saving mode. If you do need to purchase a new appliance, consider an Energy Star-certified model. Products that have earned the Energy Star certification meet energy efficiency standards set by the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy.

Save $ and Reduce Pollution

• Using a power strip and purchasing Energy Star products can reduce your CO₂ emissions by as much as 906 lbs per year.
• Turning off your electronics when not in use could save you $30 annually.
• "Phantom" power loads waste $47 and 840 lbs of CO₂ per year in the average home.

laundry

Washing our clothes is chore we can't avoid but there are simple tricks to lighten each load's impact on the environment and your wallet. Considering that 80 to 85% of the energy used by washing machines is for water heating, using the cold water wash setting offers significant savings without detracting from the machine's cleaning ability. Only wash and dry full loads. Grey water and associated contaminants all to often end up in the local water supply, so choose nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), phosphate, and bleach-free detergents to prevent run-off pollution. Add a dry towel in with wet clothes to reduce drying time.

Additional Resources

• Energy Star: Clothes Washers

Save $ and Reduce Pollution

• Washing clothes in cold rather than warm or hot water could save you as much as $200 per year.
• Each use of the cold water cycle saves 6.5 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Replacing your old washing machine with an energy-efficient front-loading model reduces your CO₂ emissions by 327 lbs per year.