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Tips for Saving Energy at Home

Small actions can add up to big reductions in your home electricity use—saving you money, and saving the environment. Not sure where to start? Here are seven easy tips to try:

1. Turn off lights when you leave a room, even if you'll only be gone for a moment.
2. Lower your water heater setting to 120 degrees or less. Lowering it 10 degrees saves you 3-5% on water heating costs.
3. Wash clothes in cold water. Hot water takes energy to heat, plus it’s hard on your clothes.
4. Replace or clean your furnace filter every three months or when it appears dirty. Clogged filters can cause your system to work less efficiently.
5. Turn the thermostat down a few degrees and wear warmer clothes. You can save 1% of your total heating bill for every degree you lower your thermostat. You can also purchase a programmable or “smart" thermostat, so you can adjust the temperature when you're at work, away or asleep. This can cut your energy bills by almost $180 per year.
6. Switch to LED lighting, especially ENERGY STAR^®-qualified products, which typically use 70 to 90% less energy and last at least 15 times longer than traditional bulbs they replace.
7. Invest in high-efficiency appliances. Their lower energy use can save you a lot of money over the lifetime of the product. Some energy efficient equipment may also qualify for rebates. Use a Kill-A-Watt EZ Meter to find out which appliances are energy hogs and replace those first. You can also borrow an energy monitor from a Ramsey County Library.

 

For more energy-saving tips, visit Xcel Energy’s website.