Energy Conservation

Conserve energy in your home or business.
This saves money and reduces pollution.

  • Electricity use:
    • Use compact fluorescent or low-wattage lightbulbs. Avoid halogen lights
    • Add extra blankets or insulated padding to waterbed mattresses to retain heat
    • Unplug all transformer plugs and power strips when not in use. These constantly draw enegy.
  • Appliances:
    • Clean your refrigerator coils twice a year for significant reduction in power use
    • Replace and recycle your old refrigerator and purchase energy-efficient models. Units only 10 years old can use twice as much as electricity as a new ENERGY STAR® labeled model.
    • When buying new appliances, be sure to purchase energy-efficient ENERGY STAR® models. Also look for seasonal incentives sponsored by PG&E on energy-efficient appliances.
    • Wash only full loads in a dishwasher and use the shortest cycle that will get your dishes clean. If operating instructions allow, turn off the dishwasher before the drying cycle, open the door and let the dishes dry naturally.
    • Do only full loads when using your clothes washer and dryer. Be sure to clean your clothes dryer's lint trap after each use. On sunny days, hang your clothes out to dry.
    • When going on vacation, shut off or turn down automatic appliances such as your water heater and furnace.
  • Hot water heaters:
    • Install energy-saver showerheads for significant water conservation and reduced water heating costs
    • Wrap first 5 feet of of water pipe from water heater with pipe insulation
    • Wrap an insulating blanket around your water heater if its energy factor is below 0.59
    • Set the water heater thermostat at 120 degrees or "low". If you have a dishwasher, you may have to set it to 140 degrees or "normal" if it does not have its own heating element as most newer models do.
    • Fix defective plumbing or dripping faucets. A single dripping hot water faucet can waste 212 gallons of water a month. This not only increases water bills, but also increases the gas or electric bill for heating the water.
  • Furnace and air-conditioners
    • Lower thermostat in winter, raise it in summer to what is bearable
    • Replace filters regularly - once a year at least.
    • Have your utility provider turn off your gas heater in spring when no longer used, since the pilot light is still lit. They usually provide this service for free.
    • Install programmable thermostat
    • Weatherstrip around windows and doors to reduce heating and cooling costs
    • Insulate ceilings to R-30 standards if your attic has less than R-19.
    • Replace old windows with dual-pane windows.
    • Close windows when heating or cooling.
    • Close blinds in summer to keep sun out, open in winter.
    • Close the damper when the fire place is not being used.
    • Wrap heating and cooling ducts with duct wrap, or use mastic sealant
  • Computers
    • Turn off at night
    • Turn off monitor during the day when not using
    • Scanner: Set option to turn light off after 10 minutes of non-use
    • Turn entire power strip off when computer is off, since the strip uses energy.
  • Other:
    • Never use a gas starter for your fireplace since it uses unregulated gas, which could cost you $1.00/minute to operate. Use starter sticks you can purchase at the grocery store's BBQ section for about 50 cents each.
    • Plant trees to provide shade, or install shades, awnings, or sun screens, on windows facing south and/or west to block summer light. In winter, open shades on sunny days to help warm rooms.
    • Install Solar PV panels and generate your own electricity.
    • Make into a game for the kids, with prizes for the best results.