More Ideas & Tips

Often, the rinse process may be satisfactorily completed using cold water; which leads to substantial savings over the course of a year.

Using the clothes dryer during off peak hours can save a substantial amount of money since off-peak rates are significantly lower than on-peak rates.

Setting your refrigerator temperature below 35° F requires a forced defrost cycle and uses additional energy.

If you will be gone from your home for more than a month, you could save significant sums by switching your refrigerator off.

If you do not clean your dehumidifier regularly it will have to work harder to maintain your preferred humidity setting.

The dryer vent tends to get blocked with lint at vent openings and along the duct length. Blocked vents are a fire hazard and result in unnecessarily long dry times.

Plant growth is highly dependent on a regular supply of the correct amount of water - which is often highly correlated with the season. Manual irrigation is known to be highly subject to under- and over-watering; directly resulting in both poor plant growth and wasted water. Conversely, an automated irrigation system provides a consistent and season-appropriate amount of water to your plants.

Lawns require large amounts of water to maintain. Other landscape configurations are often able to provide a similar or better utility - whether it be aesthetics, room for a sport or activity, or some other function - while using little or no water. These may include cactus or hardy plant gardens, gravel or other landscaping, astro-turf or other maintenance free surfaces.

When you turn off electronics, make sure they are really off. Many devices consume power all the time, such as monitors, printers, DVD players, and other home entertainment and office equipment. A smart power strip will ensure that these devices are not only protected against surges, but when the main device is shut off, power is also cut to selected ancillary equipment on the strip.

Using the dishwasher with only full (or near full) loads of dishes saves substantial amounts of washing energy, water heating energy and water.