How to Save Money with Heating and Cooling:

• Turn down the thermostats for heating
• Turn up the thermostats for cooling
• Install a programmable thermostat so the heat or cooling operate less during non-work hours - (savings example: save 5% - 30% of what you are not spending for heating and cooling)
• Improve insulation

• Make sure your heating system is well maintained and the ducts do not have leaks - (savings example: on average 30% of the heat or cooling is lost through duct leaks in the average system - that's 30% of your heating/cooling costs)
• Insulate all heating ducts located in non-heated areas
• Install ceiling fans or other types of fans to circulate the warmer air that rises to the ceiling unless your current ventilation system already circulates the air on a regular basis.

• Add more self-closing doors between heated and cooled areas, and non-heated and non-cooled areas.
• Keep all exterior doors closed when heating any part of a building
• Keep exterior doors open - in most cases - when cooling any part of a building
• Consider installing awnings, etc. to shade exterior walls that have a great deal of sun exposure to reduce cooling needs. An awning that can be retracted is best so that the awning can be retracted in the winter-time to allow the sun to warm that same wall and reduce heating needs in the winter. The awning needs to have as much space as possible between the awning and the wall to get the most benefit. Another option is planting trees or large bushes next to exterior walls that have a great deal of sun to shade the wall and reduce cooling needs (this does not gain the benefit of solar heating in the winter time though).
• Replace electrically fueled heating devices with natural gas or propane fueled devices whenever possible. If natural gas or propane is not an option, replace resistant electrical heating devices with a heat pump device for significantly greater energy savings.

• Turn down the thermostats on the hot water heater to 120 degrees or 115 degrees (Caution: Do not turn it below 115 degrees to maintain protection against Legionnaire's Disease)
• Add an insulation blanket over the hot water heater - (savings example: $87 per year)
• Fix all leaky faucets
• Install flow restricters on all hot water outlets
• Insulate all hot water pipes to avoid heat loss
• Install faucets that turn themselves off automatically
• Consider installing a hot water heater timer if your water heater is electric and having the hot water heater turned off during weekends or overnight

• Replace incandescent lighting with high efficiency types of lighting like fluorescent lighting. The NEW fluorescent lighting is more efficient that even old fluorescent lighting - (savings example: from 33% to 50% off of your current costs for lighting)
• Replace OLD fluorescent lighting with new fluorescent lighting. Many utilities offer rebates or other monetary rewards for changing to energy efficient lighting. Check with your local utility
• Replace existing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Contact the Bonneville Power Administration to receive $6 discount coupons for purchasing compact fluorescent bulbs (screw into fixture to replace incandescent light bulb) at 1-888- 376-8008.
• Use task lighting wherever possible instead of area lighting. For example a desk lamp instead of overhead lighting.
• Turn off lights that are not needed
• Install motion detectors to turn off lights when no-one is in the room
• Put timers on exterior signs so they are off during late night and early morning hours
• Put motion detectors on exterior security lighting so they are not on all of the time but do come on when triggered.

• Unplug or turn off the coffee maker at night and over the weekend so that it does not continue to heat the water and waste electricity - (savings example: save about $50 per year per unit)
• Turn off your computers at night and over the weekend. Even in their "sleep" mode, they continue to draw electricity - (savings example: save about $50 per year per unit)
• Turn off your computer monitors at night and over the weekend. Even in their "sleep" mode, they continue to draw electricity - (savings example: save about $50 per year per unit)
• Turn off your printers at night and over the weekend. Even in their "sleep" mode, they continue to draw electricity - (savings example: save about $50 per year per unit)
• Turn off your copier at night and over the weekend. Even in their "sleep" mode, they continue to draw electricity - (savings example: save about $50 per year per unit)
• Try and organize the use of your photocopier so that you only have it on part of the day, i.e. 1 - 5pm, and save your morning copy work for the afternoon. A copier consumers substantial amounts of electricity because they use heat to fuse the toner to the paper. Making heat from electricity is expensive.
• Purchase equipment with an "Energy Star" rating whenever possible to reduce energy consumption - (savings example - save 20% - 30% of what you are now spending)

• Keep the doors closed as much as possible on the refrigerated appliance
• Plan work to minimize the opening of doors on the refrigerated appliance
• Ensure that all seals on refrigerated appliances are in good condition and operating properly
• Cool hot things in water before placing them in the refrigerated appliance
• Clean the heat exchanger regularly on all refrigeration compressors. A dirty heat exchanger can greatly reduce the efficiency of the compressor
• Ensure that the heat exchanger for any refrigeration compressor has excellent ventilation. Reduce ventilation will greatly reduce its efficiency.
• Have your refrigeration equipment serviced to ensure that there is enough refrigerant gas in the system. Low refrigerant gas increases the amount of time the compressor operates which increases electricity costs.
• Purchase refrigeration equipment with an "Energy Star" rating whenever possible to reduce energy consumption - (savings example - save 20% - 30% of what you are now spending)

• Turn-off the equipment when not in use. This also improves safety in most cases.
• Buy "energy efficient" equipment and look for the "Energy Star" indication on any new equipment indicating the equipment has met high-energy efficiency standards.