Full Text
10 Ways to Improve Home Energy Efficiency Visit bit.ly/wfclimate to learn more about the City's commitment to climate resilience and energy efficiency. Resources City of Whitefish, MT US Department of Energy: www.energy.gov/public- services/home Weatherizing Your Home: www.weatherization.org Flathead Electric Cooperative: www.flatheadelectric.com/save -money-save-energy/ Northwestern Energy: www.northwesternenergy.com/ save-energy- money/residential-services/ Energy Star®: WaterSense®: www.epa.gov/watersense/start -saving ---PAGE BREAK--- Save Money & Energy In Your Home GET A HOME ENERGY AUDIT A home energy audit will help you determine where you're using energy in your home and what the best cost- effective opportunities for energy savings are. Contact Flathead Electric Cooperative or Northwestern Energy to determine if you qualify for a free home energy auditor. WEATHERIZE YOUR HOME Ensure your home is properly insulated Caulk air leaks, especially around windows and light fixtures SWITCH OUT YOUR LIGHTS Replace inefficient incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs LEDs use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than incandescents MONITOR YOUR TEMPERATURE A programmable thermostat will allow you to turn down home temperatures when you're away for more than four hours or at nighttime Set your thermostat to 78°F or higher in the summer and 66°F or lower in winter. Wear season-appropriate clothing to minimize excess heating and cooling. GET RID OF ENERGY VAMPIRES Use power strips for groups of appliances and power management settings for computers and monitors Turn off electronics when not in use, and unplug them if you're not going to use them in the near future. Appliances that are off but plugged in still draw electricity. Replace your lawn with native and drought-tolerant plants that don't require excessive watering. Water your lawn in the early morning or late evening, not during midday when it is hottest. Water three days a week at most. REDUCE OUTDOOR WATER USE REDUCE INDOOR WATER USE Take shorter showers and turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth. Wash loads of laundry in cold water and air dry. Make sure you only wash and dry full loads of laundry. Check for leaks in your homes pipes system and fix them. REDUCE WATER HEATING EXPENSES Reduce water heater temperature to 120°F and make sure the hot water tank and pipes are properly insulated. GO SOLAR Montana has a good solar resource and adding solar panels to your home can greatly reduce your electricity bills during the summer when sunshine is plentiful. 10 PERFORM REGULAR MAINTENANCE Replace air filters as needed Make sure air vents aren't closed or blocked. When your old appliances break, replace them with new, Energy Star certified ones. Co Water Heating 14% Washer & Dryer 13% Lighting 12% Other 10% Refrigerator 4% Source: Connect4Climate.org US Residential Electricity Consumption by End Use Washer & Dryer 13% Cooling & Heating 47%