Our home energy experts recommend these quick and effective ways to conserve energy, save money and gain control over energy consumption at home. These tips can be posted on your fridge to encourage everyone to join in!
1. Adjust Your Thermostat
- Set your thermostat to 78° or the highest temperature where you can still be comfortable while you are home and 82° F when you’re away. Each degree you raise your thermostat between 75° – 78° can save you 3-5% on your monthly cooling costs. That’s a lot when cooling makes up approximately 60% of your bill!
- Bonus savings: Save up to $2,150 with FPL rebates and federal tax credits when you upgrade to an energy-efficient A/C unit.
2. Refresh Your Air Filter
- Replace or clean your air filter regularly for cleaner air and a more efficient heating and cooling system. When you get your FPL bill, use it as a reminder to change your filter.
3. Be a Fan of Your Fan
- Turn off your ceiling fan when you leave the room. A fan that runs all the time could cost more than $7 a month. The "wind chill" effect cools people, not rooms.
4. Use Hot Water Wisely
- The second-largest energy user in your home is usually your water heater. Lowering the temperature from 140° to 120° could save 3 to 5% on your energy costs.
5. Limit the time you run your pool pump:
- We recommend you limit the run time to:
- Summer - six hours a day
- Winter - four hours a day
- By maintaining your pool's cleanliness, water clarity and chemical levels, you may be able to reduce your pool pump's run time and save up to $100 per year.
6. Load smart to wash and dry efficiently
- Washer: Adjust the water level on your washing machine to match the load size, choose the cold rinse whenever possible and try to wash full loads. It takes as much energy to wash a single item as it takes to wash a full load.
- Dryer: Use the auto sensor function on your dryer to conserve energy by not over-drying your clothes and clean the lint filter in your dryer before every load to dry your clothes faster.
7. Cool coil care for your refrigerator
- The refrigerator/freezer is the third largest energy user in your home. Dust and dirt on refrigerator coils make it work harder. Vacuum or brush coils every 6 months to maintain peak efficiency.
- An extra refrigerator that is hardly used can add up to $100 a year in energy costs.
8. Use precision cooking with small appliances
- Consider using a microwave, toaster oven, air fryer, or other small appliance instead of the oven whenever possible. These use about one-third the power of an oven broiler.
9. Let the star be your guide
- Look for ENERGY STAR-labeled electronics or appliances. Newer ENERGY STAR models meet stricter requirements and use anywhere from 10 to 50 percent less energy each year.
10. Unplug energy phantoms
- Many electronics continue to draw power even when they appear to be "off."These phantom energy users can account for up to 5-10% of monthly residential electricity use.
- Consolidate plugs by using power strips and switching them off when not in use. This will help reduce phantom loads and can help save up to $100 a year.
Bonus Tip:
Replace old, high-flow showerheads with water-efficient showerheads and save more than $70* a year.
Take the Showerhead Test
Here's an easy way to determine if your showerhead is water efficient:
- Get a bucket and a watch/clock that counts seconds.
- Place the bucket underneath the showerhead.
- Turn the shower on all the way using cold water.
- Time how long it takes for one gallon of water to fall into the bucket.
- Less than 24 seconds to fill a gallon of water – you do not have the most efficient showerhead because its flow exceeds the recommended 2.5 gallons per minute.
- More than 24 seconds to fill a gallon of water – you have an efficient showerhead.
*Annual savings calculated based on two people in the home using water-efficient showerheads.
