Short Showers save water
To be a water saver, install a low-flow showerhead and keep showers under 5 minutes. Turn off the water to soap up.Flush Only when water
Avoid using the toilet for a wastebasket. Every flush you can eliminate can save between two and seven gallons of water.Test your toilet
Leaks waste water. Add several drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If it's leaking, the coloring will appear in the toilet without flushing.Brush teeth efficency
Don't let the water run while you brush your teeth or shave. Turn the faucet on briefly to rinse. An electric razor saves the most.Conserve water
Filling the tub uses about 50 gallons of water. Try bathing in just 10 gallons. Plug the tub when you shower; how full does the tub get?Wash Clothes wisely
Match washer's load selector to your load size. Try to wash only full loads. Minimize detergent use. Save energy by using cold water to wash.Save water and energy
Buying a new washing machine? Choose wisely. Find the ones that conserves water and energy and has a suds saver attachment.Prepare food efficiency
Speed cleaning food by using a vegetable brush. Spray water in short bursts. Faucet aerators cut consumption.Reduce dishwater
Use a rubber spatula to scrape dishes clean to limit pre-rinse. Let really dirty pans or dishes soak to speed washing.Use fewer dishes
Limit dishwasher use to full loads. Minimize detergent use. Prepare food with an eye to reducing dishwashing.Wash cars efficiently
Choose a car wash that recycles water. At home, use a shut-off nozzle and wash your car in small sections. Direct runoff to water landscaping.
Cover pool or spa
Cover pools and spas to reduce evaporation. Avoid overflows and splashes by reducing water levels.Find a better way
Avoid using garbage disposals. Compost or feed leftovers to pets when possible. Use recycled water in disposal.Don’t blow it away
Limit the loss of expensive heated air to the outside. Use fans sparingly. In just one hour, these fans can blow away a house full of warm air.Sorry Santa
Keep fireplace dampers tightly closed until you prepare to light a fire. An open damper in a 48-inch square fireplace can let as much as 8% of our heat escape out the chimney.Caulk it up
Caulking and weather stripping are reasonably easy, so you may be able to save money by doing the job yourself. Reducing air leaks to a minimum may also allow you to lower the thermostat on your system without any discomfort.Don’t’ jack it up
Lower your thermostat to about 65 degrees F during the day and 60 degrees F at night. For each degree you turn down your thermostat, you'll save 3% on heating bills.Fireplace can cause heat loss
When using the fireplace, open dampers in the bottom of the firebox if provided, or open the closet window about 1 inch and close the doors leading into the room. This allows more air for the fire without reducing heat loss.Try this out
Make a draft detector by clipping a piece of tissue paper to a coat hanger. Hold the coat hanger in front of a suspected crack; any movement indicates a leak in need of caulking or weather stripping.Kids off to College?
Avoid heating unused areas by closing off unoccupied rooms and shutting off heat vents. (Does not apply if you have a heat pump.)
Keep it up tp par
Keep the heating system well tuned with periodic maintenance by a professional service. Once a year is a good bet.Old windows can cost a bundle
Consider installing storm windows and doors. Storm windows can be both energy efficient and convenient. Good windows can result in cost savings of as much as 15% a year.