Alliance to Save Energy Offers No-Cost/Low-Cost Home Energy-Efficiency Tips to Pare Expenses, Increase Comfort in Tough Economic Times

Washington, DC, November 2008 – Particularly in a turbulent and tough economy filled with uncertainty on so many fronts, why pay more than necessary to power your home when you can use the money for other things? The Alliance to Save Energy offers a number of no-cost/low-cost home energy-efficiency tips that pay off in lower monthly energy bills, reduced pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and improved comfort and energy security.

No-Cost Ways to Save Energy & Money

• Listen to your mother. (“What do you think, we own the electric company?”) Turn off everything that's not in use: lights, TVs, computers, electronics.
• Clean (or replace) AC/heating-system filters monthly. Dirty filters block air flow through your heating and cooling systems, increasing your energy bill and shortening the equipment’s life.
• Use "cheap solar power" — let the sun shine in to warm your home in winter. During hot months, keep window coverings closed on the south, east, and west windows.
• Close the fireplace damper when not in use. Also, glass fireplace doors help stop heat from being lost up the chimney.
• Activate "sleep" features on computers and office equipment that power down when not in use for a while. Turn off equipment during longer periods of non-use to cut energy costs and improve longevity.
• When cooking, keep the lids on pots; better yet, use a microwave oven instead.
• Set your thermostat with both cost and comfort in mind. For each degree you lower your thermostat in winter, you can save up to 5% of the heating portion of your energy bill, depending on your climate region. On winter nights, put an extra blanket on the bed and turn down your thermostat more.
• Only heat or cool the rooms you need — close vents and doors of unused rooms.
• Free energy audit? Check with your local government or energy company to see if they offer free home energy audits.

Low-Cost Ways to Save Energy & Money

• Step #1. Plug leaks. It's cheap and effective. Use sealant and weather stripping around windows and doors to ensure that you're not wasting energy on heat or air conditioning that escapes through leaks to the outdoors.
• 4 for the planet — replace your four most used incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs which use only three quarters of the energy of incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
• Use dimmers, timers, and motion detectors on indoor and outdoor lighting.
• A programmable thermostat can cut your heating and AC bills by 10% and quickly recoup its cost. Set it to your daily and weekend patterns, and you don't have to remember to change the settings when no one's home but the goldfish.
• Duct tape doesn't work on ductwork. Insulate ducts to improve your heating system’s efficiency and your own comfort. While duct tape works well on lots of things, it often fails when used on ductwork! Use mastic (a gooey substance applied with a paintbrush) to seal all exposed ductwork joints in areas such as the attic, crawlspace, or basement.
• Make your single-pane windows more efficient affordably/temporarily with plastic sheeting installed on the inside. Or add storm windows, which can significantly reduce heat lost by single-paned windows during the winter.
• Consider safer, more efficient ENERGY STAR-certified torchiere lamps rather than halogen torchiere lamps, which are expensive to operate and can cause fires.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR® label, the symbol of energy efficiency, when replacing or buying new products to save on your monthly energy bills. It's found on more than 50 different products.

In December, the Alliance and Levi Strauss & Co. will offer a number of no-cost/ low-cost hot water and laundry money- and energy-saving tips.