A couple of quick calls to mail order catalog companies can free your mailbox from piles of junk. Switch to online bill paying to cut down on even more paper waste.
A little less heat saves energy. Resist the temptation to crank the heat in chilly weather. Instead, throw on a sweater and keep your thermostat at an energy-efficient 68 degrees F.
Use a fan instead of air conditioning. A fan uses significantly less energy than a conventional air conditioner, plus it produces no fluorocarbons and even requires less energy to manufacture.
Use the grade of motor oil recommended by your car's manufacturer. Using a different motor oil can lower your gasoline mileage by 1% to 2%.
Check into telecommuting, carpooling and public transit to cut mileage and car maintenance costs.
Reduce drag by placing items inside the car or trunk rather than on roof racks. A loaded roof rack can decrease your fuel economy by 5% or more.
Clean out your car, extra weight decreases gas mileage by 1% to 2% for every 100 pounds.
When driving high speeds above 60 mph your gas mileage drops rapidly.
Aggressive driving can lower your highway gas mileage by 33% and city mileage by 5%.
Using rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and PDAs is more cost effective then throwaway batteries.
Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
Consider air-drying clothes on clothes line or drying racks to save energy.
Periodically inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked. This will save energy and may prevent a fire.
Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
Don't over-dry your clothes. If your machine has a moisture sensor, use it.
Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
Wash and dry full loads. If you are washing a small load, use the appropriate water-level setting.
Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.
Drain a quart of water from your water tank every three months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your heaters. Always follow your manufacturer's advice.
When shopping for a new dishwasher or clothes washer, consider a water-saving ENERGY STAR model to reduce hot water use.
Insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.
Lower the thermostat on your water heater. A setting of 120 degrees Fahrenheit provides comfortable hot water for most uses.
Repair leaky faucets promptly, a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time.
Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads.
Turn off kitchen, bath and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing.
Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed, make sure they are not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes.
Clean or replace furnace filters once a month or as needed.
Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer.
Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.
Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
Take short showers instead of baths.
Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).
Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher's drying cycle.
Copiers that do not automatically turn off after a period of inactivity should be turned off at night and during the weekend.
If appropriate, use laptop computers -- they consume 90% less energy than standard desktop computers.
Do not print out copies of emails or other documents unless necessary.
Use duplex printing and copying when available.
Computers that are not accessed remotely should be turned off at the end of the business day and on weekends unless otherwise directed.
The power management features of computers and monitors should be activated so that when a computer is left unused, the machine powers down to "sleep" mode.
When rooms or buildings are unoccupied, lights not needed for safety and security purposes should be turned off.
Turn off unneeded and unnecessary lighting, especially in unused offices, conference rooms, restrooms, copy rooms, break rooms, storage rooms, and internal spaces not in frequent/constant use (backrooms).
If you are going to be away for more than 5 minutes, turn your lights off, even if they are fluorescent. The startup cost of fluorescent lighting is minimal compared to leaving the lights on for 5 minutes or longer.
Consider using task lighting (desk lamps) when possible; reducing the need for overhead lighting in the room.
Natural light should be used whenever possible; avoid turning on overhead lights when they are not needed.
Opt out of junk mail by contacting the company and asking to be taken off the list.
Whenever possible, replace disposal products with reusable ones.
Make sure your tires are inflated to the proper pressure to improve your gas mileage.
Consolidate trips whenever possible instead of doing errands separately.
Check your sprinklers weekly to make sure they are watering your yard and not the sidewalk or street.
Rideshare one day a week to enhance our air quality.
Use reusable bags whenever and wherever possible. Keep some in your car for convenience.
Place paper bags in your curbside recycling bin.
Check with your waste disposal company to find out which materials can go into the recycle bin.
Avoid taking more single use carryout bags than you need.
Use separate reusable bags for groceries and raw meat.
Clean your reusable bags frequently to avoid health risks.
Low-flow showerheads can reduce flow rates from as high as 7.5 gpm to less than 2.5 gpm.
Point-of-use and tankless water heaters eliminate water waste.
Rideshare one day a week to enhance our air quality.
