Save Energy at Home

Cooling Challenge:

As much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. So making smart decisions about your home's heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system can have a big effect on your utility bills - and your comfort.

Cooling Solutions:

Do it yourself

Room Air Conditioner

Considering purchasing a room air conditioner? Consider an ENERGY STAR qualified model. They use at least 10 percent less energy than standard models.

Additional Tips for Air Conditioner Usage

• In the winter, be sure to insulate room air conditioners from the outside with a tight-fitting A/C unit cover, available at your local home improvement center or hardware store. This keeps heated air from escaping outside. Alternately, you can remove the window unit in the winter months to prevent energy losses.
• Be sure the window unit fits tightly in the window so outdoor air is not getting in.
• Large window A/C units should have their own separate electrical circuit so the system is not overloaded.

Window - If replacing windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified models designed for your area, and save $20-$95 each year in energy costs. With proper installation to ensure all gaps are sealed around them, ENERGY STAR qualified windows can help improve your comfort, cut drafts, and reduce fading of interior furnishings.

Ducts - Keep air registers and vents clear to allow air to flow freely throughout the room.

Hire a Contractor

Learn about how to hire a contractor, what kinds of tools they use and how to find a contractor in your area.

• 10 Tips to Finding the Right Contractor
• Diagnostic Tools - used by contractors
• Home Energy Rater - helps you find contractors in your area

Water Heating Challenge:

From warm showers to clean dishes, we count on hot water. In fact, the average household spends $400-$600 per year on water heating - making it the second largest energy expenditure behind heating and cooling. Today's new ENERGY STAR qualified water heaters include smart design enhancements that offer significant improvements in efficiency - and performance. Depending on the technology you choose, you can cut your water heating costs in half!

Water Heating Solutions:

Do it yourself

Water Heaters

Set your water heater thermostat to 120 F or lower. Savings resulting from turning down your water heater temperature are based on two components: reduced standby losses (heat lost from water heater into surrounding basement area); and consumption (from water demand or use in your home).

• Set too high, or at 140 degrees F, your water heater can waste anywhere from $36 to $61 annually in standby heat losses and more than $400 in demand losses.
• Set at 120 degrees F, you will save energy and money.
• If you have an older water heater, you can improve its insulation by wrapping it with an insulating jacket and save more than $30 per year in excess heat loss.
• To help keep your hot water from cooling off before it gets to the tap, you can insulate the hot water piping, leaving the water heater for additional savings.
• Don't forget to turn off electric water heaters and turn down gas water heaters when going away on vacation.

Don't get burned, plan ahead.

A water heater lasts about 10-15 years, and when it fails it can leave you with a big mess. When in a rush to replace, it's hard to evaluate options and consumers often end up with the least efficient choice. If you're one of the 27 million households with a water heater that's more than ten years old, consider replacing it with an ENERGY STAR qualified model before it fails. By acting early you have more control of your purchase and can start saving money right away.

Hire a Contractor

Learn about how to hire a contractor, what kinds of tools they use and how to find a contractor in your area.

• 10 Tips to Finding the Right Contractor
• Diagnostic Tools - used by contractors
• Home Energy Rater - helps you find contractors in your area

Appliances Challenge:

The average home spends about $2,200 on energy bills every year. Change to appliances that have earned the ENERGY STAR, and you can save in energy costs, while saving the environment.

Appliances Solutions:

Do it yourself

Save Energy, Save Money

• ENERGY STAR qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models. Look for the ENERGY STAR Label that may appear on the appliance, the packaging or the EnergyGuide label.
• Take a look at the complete list of ENERGY STAR qualified products.
• Also, be sure to read the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) purchasing guidance for major home appliances .

Common Appliances

ENERGY STAR Qualified Clothes Washer

• Wash your laundry with cold water whenever possible. To save water, try to wash full loads or, if you must wash a partial load, reduce the level of water appropriately.
• Hot water heating accounts for about 90 percent of the energy your machine uses to wash clothes - only 10 percent goes to electricity used by the washer motor.
• Depending on the clothes and local water quality (hardness), many homeowners can effectively do laundry exclusively with cold water, using cold water laundry detergents.
• Switching to cold water can save the average household more than $40 annually (with an electric water heater) and more than $30 annually (with a gas water heater).
• Washing full loads can save you more than 3,400 gallons of water each year.

Clothes Dryer

• Don't over-dry your clothes. If your dryer has a moisture sensor that will automatically turn the machine off when clothes are done, use it to avoid over drying.
• One of the easiest things you can do to increase drying efficiency is to clean the lint trap before each and every load.
• It's easy to over-dry your clothes, if one setting is used for various fabric types. Try to dry loads made up of similar fabrics, so the entire load dries just as the cycle ends.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Dishwashers

• Rinsing dishes can use up to 20 gallons of water before the dishes are even loaded. Save yourself the rinsing-just scrape food off dishes. ENERGY STAR qualified dishwashers and today's detergents are designed to do the cleaning so you don't have to.
• If your dirty dishes sit overnight, use your dishwasher's rinse feature. It uses a fraction of the water needed to hand rinse.
• Dishwashers use about the same amount of energy and water regardless of the number of dishes inside, so run full loads whenever possible.
• Select the no-heat drying option. It gives good drying results with less energy.

Microwave

• Use your microwave or toaster oven to reheat or cook small portions.
• You can reduce cooking energy by as much as 80 percent when using your microwave for small portions. This also helps save on a/c costs in summer, since less heat is generated when compared to using your stove or oven.

Range

• Use the right sized pot on stove burners. A 6" pot on an 8" burner wastes over 40 percent of the burner's heat. Also, cover pots and pans to keep heat in.
• Using the right sized pot on stove burners can save about $36 annually for an electric range, or $18 for gas. Covering pots and pans also helps you cook more efficiently and keeps your kitchen cooler.
• Have a gas range? Keep the burners clean to ensure maximum efficiency. Blue flames mean good combustion; yellow flames mean service may be needed to ensure the gas is burning efficiently.

ENERGY STAR Qualified Refrigerators

• Keep your refrigerator at 35 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place your fridge in a cool place away from a heat source such as an oven, a dishwasher, or direct sunlight from a window.
• Allow air circulation behind the fridge.
• Keep the condenser coils clean if you have an older model. Read the user's manual to learn how to safely clean coils. Coil cleaning brushes can be purchased at most hardware stores.
• Make sure the refrigerator seals around the door are airtight. If not, replace them.
• Minimize the amount of time the refrigerator door is open.

Hire a Contractor

Learn about how to hire a contractor, what kinds of tools they use and how to find a contractor in your area.

• 10 Tips to Finding the Right Contractor
• Diagnostic Tools - used by contractors
• Home Energy Rater - helps you find contractors in your area

Lighting Challenge:

If every American home replaced their 5 most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ones that have earned the ENERGY STAR, we would save close to $9 billion each year in energy costs, and together we'd prevent the greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars. Note: This fact is based on the replacement of 9 bulbs in 5 high-use fixtures.

Lighting Solutions:

Do it yourself

Lighting is one of the easiest places to start saving energy.

• Replacing your five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR qualified lights can save $70 a year in energy costs.
• ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) provide high-quality light output, use less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving money on energy bills and replacement costs.
• Replace one light at home with an ENERGY STAR qualified one.

Bathroom Vanity Lights

• The bathroom vanity is one of the most used fixtures in the average home.
• ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs provide bright, warm light, use less energy, and generate less heat than standard lighting.
• Keep in mind that high humidity can shorten the life of CFLs. To avoid moisture problems, control humidity in your bathroom by running your ventilating fan during and 15 minutes after showers and baths.

Porch Light

• The outdoor porch or post lamp is one of the most used light fixtures in a home, and is the perfect place to install ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products.
• Many compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) will fit easily into existing porch lights.
• Or install a new ENERGY STAR qualified outdoor fixture that saves energy through advanced CFL technology, a motion sensor and/or a photocell that turns the light on only when someone is present or on at night and off in the morning.

Office & Desk Lighting

• Home office lights are often used for many hours a day. Remember to turn them off when not in use.
• ENERGY STAR qualified desk lamps or compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) provide high-quality light output, use 75% less energy, and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving money on energy bills and replacement costs.

Hire a Contractor

Learn about how to hire a contractor, what kinds of tools they use and how to find a contractor in your area.

• 10 Tips to Finding the Right Contractor
• Diagnostic Tools - used by contractors
• Home Energy Rater - helps you find contractors in your area

Electronics Challenge:

Consumer electronic products are responsible for approximately 15 percent of household electricity use. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average American household has three televisions, two DVD players or recorders, at least one digital camera, one desktop computer and two cell phones, among other consumer electronics products-the average American household has 24 consumer electronics products.

Electronics Solutions:

Do it yourself

Many electronic appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These "phantom" loads occur in most appliances that use electricity such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances.

• In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics and appliances is consumed while the products are turned off. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.

Below are some quick tips to save energy with commonly used electronics.

Computers

• There is a common misconception that screen savers reduce energy use by monitors; they do not. Automatic switching to sleep mode or manually turning monitors off is always the better energy-saving strategy.
• To maximize savings with a laptop, put the AC adapter on a power strip that can be turned off (or will turn off automatically); the transformer in the AC adapter draws power continuously, even when the laptop is not plugged into the adapter.
• Turn off your monitor when you're away from your PC for 20 minutes or more. If you will be away for two hours or more, turn off your personal computer and monitor.

Televisions, DVD Players

• 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).

Battery Chargers

• Studies have shown that using rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and PDAs is more cost effective than throwaway batteries. If you must use throwaways, check with your trash removal company about safe disposal options.
• Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.

Do it yourself

Dehumidifier

• Unplug it when it's not in use
• Consider an ENERGY STAR qualified dehumidifier. It can save more than $230 in savings over the life of the unit.

External Power Adapters

• EPA estimates there are 8 external power adapters for every person (20 per household) in the United States-as many as 2.4 billion in total.
• Use ENERGY STAR qualified external power adapters. If all external power adapters sold in the United States meet the ENERGY STAR requirements, the savings in energy costs will grow to about $2 billion each year and prevent 20 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the emissions from more than 1.5 million vehicles.
• Unplug all external power adapters when not in use.

Game Consoles

• Many of today's video game consoles are left on all the time. If left on all the time, the Xbox 360 draws approximately 1,000 kWh/yr, while the PS3 draws 1,300 kWh/yr. These values drop dramatically when users routinely turn the device off after use, lowering annual energy levels down to 110 and 120 kWh/yr, respectively.
• U.S. consumers often choose video game consoles as their high-definition video disc player. The consoles use anywhere from 4 to 7 times as much power as stand-alone Blu-ray players, and as much as 24 times the power of a stand-alone DVD player.

Standby More Often

If you don't remember to unplug, the standby power mode is the second best option. A typical home has 40 products continuously drawing power. This number is likely to grow, so ENERGY STAR has focused on decreasing standby power draw across the whole range of products and especially on consumer electronics like TVs and monitors. a network.

What is Standby Power Mode?

Standby power mode is the lowest power consumption that a product can draw while plugged in.

• To identify products that draw standby power, look for the following features: an external power supply, remote control, continuous display (including an LED), or battery charging capabilities. These will all draw power continuously. Sometimes there is no obvious sign of continuous power consumption and you need a meter to be certain.
• U.S. households spent approximately $100 per year to power devices while they are in a low power mode, roughly 8 percent of household electricity costs. Consumer electronics including audio, video and telephony products account for 40 percent of low power mode consumption.
• It is estimated that standby power accounts for more than 100 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of annual U.S. electricity consumption and $11 billion in annual energy costs.

Attic

The attic is one of the places where you often find the biggest air leaks, which can increase your energy bills and make you uncomfortably hot in summer and cold in winter. It is also a place that is generally accessible, making it easier to air seal and insulate to improve your home's comfort and overall energy performance.

Basement

The basement is a good place to make energy-efficient improvements. From appliances such as washing machines and dryers to heating and cooling equipment and home sealing, there are important steps you can take to improve your home's energy efficiency, save on energy bills, and help protect the environment.

Bathroom

There are many things you can do to save energy in your bathroom.

Vanity Lights

• Replace your home's five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR and save $70 each year in energy costs.
• The bathroom vanity is one of the highest-use fixtures in the average home. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs provide bright, warm light, use less energy, and generate less heat than standard lighting. Keep in mind that high humidity can shorten the life of CFLs. To avoid moisture problems, control humidity in your bathroom by running your ventilating fan during and 15 minutes after showers and baths. You can find ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures in hundreds of popular styles, including vanity lighting, at home improvement and hardware stores, lighting showrooms, and other retail stores including online outlets.

Vent Fan

• Install a properly sized ENERGY STAR qualified ventilation fan to control moisture in the air while you shower or bathe, as well as control mold and mildew growth. Run your fan for 15 minutes after showering.
• ENERGY STAR qualified ventilation fans are much quieter than standard models. Models that include lighting use 70% less energy on average than standard models, saving more than $60 in electricity over the life of the fan. Qualified models can be found at many home improvement stores or from you HVAC or electrical contractor. Also be sure the fan duct leads to the outdoors to prevent moisture problems.
• Learn how to prevent moisture problems.
• Learn how to prevent mold, mildew, or musty odors.

Bedroom

Bed-Side Lamp

• Replace fixtures and bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products.
• Lighting is one of the easiest places to start saving energy. Replacing your five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR qualified lights can save $70 a year in energy costs. ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures feature stylish designs and are available in a variety of models of lamps and fixtures. ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) provide high-quality light output, use less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving money on energy bills and replacement costs.

Window

• During the winter months, replace your screens with storm windows to provide an extra barrier to the cold outside air. Caulk and weather-strip around windows and doorframes that leak air.
• If replacing windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified models designed for your area, and save $20-$95 each year in energy costs. With proper installation to ensure all gaps are sealed around them, ENERGY STAR qualified windows can help improve your comfort, cut drafts, and reduce fading of interior furnishings.
• Learn how to fix problems with moisture on windows in your home.

Ducts

• Keep air registers and vents clear to allow air to flow freely throughout the room.

Dining Room

Lighting

• Replace light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR qualified lighting.
• Conventional chandeliers with many lights can be one of the highest wattage fixtures in the home. There are now more stylish and decorative options in energy-efficient light fixtures available. Look for ENERGY STAR qualified chandeliers, torchieres, ceiling-mounted and wall sconces at most home centers, lighting showrooms and specialty stores. ENERGY STAR qualified lighting provides bright, warm light while using 75% less energy, generating 75% less heat and lasting up to 10 times longer than standard lighting.
• Remember to always turn off your lights when leaving a room. Turning off just one 60-watt incandescent bulb, that would otherwise burn eight hours a day, can save about $15 per year!

Programmable Thermostat

• Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust your home's temperature settings when you're away or sleeping.
• When used properly, a programmable thermostat with its four temperature settings can save about $180 a year in energy costs. Learn how to get this energy savings with ENERGY STAR's Guidelines for Proper Use of Programmable Thermostats.
• Save with a manual thermostat, too! Every degree you set your thermostat up in hot weather or down in cold weather will help you save on your overall energy bill.
• More info on saving energy with thermostats: It's a common misperception that it takes more energy to cool off (or heat up) a house than it takes to keep it cool all the time. Turning up the thermostat in summer (or down in winter) will always save energy. It's best to only cool (or heat) a house as much as necessary, based on occupants and time of day.
• It's easy to forget to adjust the thermostat when leaving the house or going to bed, and it takes time for the house to cool off (or warm up) once the thermostat is adjusted, which can be uncomfortable. Here's where a programmable thermostat pays off, because it automatically adjusts the temperature when your home is empty, and when you go to sleep. Total energy savings will depend on your climate and the efficiency of your house and heating and cooling system.

Floor Vents/Radiators

• Make sure that the connections at vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet the floors, walls, and ceiling. These are common locations to find leaks and disconnected ductwork. Also make sure that all vents are clear of any furniture or rugs to improve air flow and comfort. If your home has radiators, place heat-resistant reflectors between radiators and walls. In the winter, this will help heat the room instead of the wall.

Sliding Door

• Apply caulking around door frames and weather-stripping around doors that do not close tightly. If replacing your sliding door, select ENERGY STAR qualified doors instead of regular clear-glass double-paned doors. You can save on energy costs while improving your comfort, cutting drafts, and reducing fading of interior furnishings.
• Improve your home's "envelope" to lower your energy bill and improve your comfort. Home sealing reduces uncomfortable drafts and helps avoid moisture problems through sealing holes, cracks, and gaps in the home.

Electrical Outlet

• Seal any holes around your outlets with an inexpensive outlet gasket.

Garage

Seal & Insulate

Sealing and insulating-done by a knowledgeable homeowner or skilled contractor-can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs (or up to 10% on total annual energy bills). It will also make your home more comfortable and help your heating and cooling system run more efficiently.

Ducts

Look for holes, tears, and other signs of leaking ducts and seal them using mastic or metal (foil) tape (never use 'duct tape,' as it is not long-lasting). Insulate all the ducts you can access (such as those in the attic, crawlspace, unfinished basement, or garage).

Hire a Contractor

Learn about how to hire a contractor, what kinds of tools they use and how to find a contractor in your area.

• 10 Tips to Finding the Right Contractor
• Diagnostic Tools - used by contractors
• Home Energy Rater - helps you find contractors in your area

Home Office

Many people now work from home. While this saves time and money on commuting, it can increase home energy bills.

Desk Lamp

• Use ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures and light bulbs. Remember to always turn off your lights when leaving a room.
• Home office lights are often used for many hours a day. ENERGY STAR qualified desk lamps or compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) provide high-quality light output, use 75% less energy, and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving money on energy bills and replacement costs.

Ducts

• Keep air registers and vents clear to allow air to flow freely throughout the room.

Electrical Outlets

• Seal holes around outlets with an inexpensive outlet gasket.

Power Strip

• Use a power strip as a central "turn off" point when you are done using equipment.
• Even when turned off, electronic and IT equipment often use a small amount of electricity. For home office equipment, this stand-by or "phantom" power load can range from a few watts to as much as 20 or even 40 watts for each piece of equipment. Using a power strip for your computer and all peripheral equipment allows you to completely disconnect the power supply from the power source, eliminating standby power consumption.

Power Adapter

• Unplug battery chargers or power adapters when equipment is fully charged or disconnected from the charger.

Computer/Monitor

• Enable power management features on your home computer and monitor. And look for the ENERGY STAR when purchasing products for your home office. They use less energy without sacrificing quality or performance.
• Most home office equipment is left on 24 hours a day. Remember: Office equipment that is set automatically to switch to sleep mode not only uses less energy, it runs cooler and helps the equipment last longer, allowing for savings on air conditioning, as well. In addition to power management, you can save more energy with your office equipment by doing the following:
• Avoid using a screensaver when your computer monitor is not active (let it switch to sleep mode or turn the monitor off instead.)
• Turn off machines when not in use (fax machines, printers, scanners, copiers.)
• Watch the ENERGY STAR In Your Office video to learn how ENERGY STAR qualified office equipment can help you save energy, money, and help protect the environment.

Kitchen

From appliances and lighting to home sealing, there are several areas to improve the energy efficiency of your kitchen and save on energy bills.

Lighting

• Install ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures or replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that have earned the ENERGY STAR.
• Kitchen fixtures are some of the most used light fixtures in a home. ENERGY STAR qualified lighting fixtures are available in popular styles that may be just right for your kitchen, such as cabinet-mounted, ceiling-mounted, and recessed can models. ENERGY STAR qualified lighting provides bright, warm light while using 75% less energy, generating 70% less heat and lasting up to 10 times longer than standard lighting.

Floor Vents/Radiators

• Make sure all air registers or floor vents are clear of furniture so that the air can circulate freely. If your home has radiators, place heat-resistant reflectors between radiators and walls. In the winter, this will help heat the room instead of the wall.

Range Hood

• Using the right sized pot on stove burners can save about $36 annually for an electric range, or $18 for gas. Covering pots and pans also helps you cook more efficiently and keeps your kitchen cooler.
• Have a gas range? Keep the burners clean to ensure maximum efficiency. Blue flames mean good combustion; yellow flames mean service may be needed to ensure the gas is burning efficiently.

Window

• During the winter months, replace your screens with storm windows to provide an extra barrier to the cold outside air. Caulk and weather-strip around windows and door frames that leak air. If replacing windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified models designed for your area, and save $20-$95 per year in energy costs. With proper installation to ensure all gaps are sealed around them, ENERGY STAR qualified windows can help improve your comfort, cut drafts, and reduce fading of interior furnishings.
• Learn how to fix problems with moisture on windows in your home.

Living Room

The living room is a gathering spot for family and friends to spend quality time. It's also a place where you can take simple steps to be more energy-efficient.

Lighting

• Replace your highest-use fixtures or the light bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR models.
• Living room table and floor lamps are two of the most used light fixtures in a home. Conventional torchiere lamps also can be the highest wattage light fixtures in the home. ENERGY STAR qualified lighting fixtures and replacement bulbs can be found at home improvement and hardware stores, lighting showrooms, and other retail stores, including online outlets.

Drapes

• During cold weather, take advantage of the sun's warmth by keeping drapes open during daylight hours. To keep out the heat of the summer sun, close window shades and drapes in warm weather.

Power Strip

• Use a power strip as a central "turn off" point for electronics, video games, and computers when not in use.

Air register

• Make sure that the connections at vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet the floors, walls, and ceiling. These are common locations to find leaks and disconnected ductwork. Also make sure that all vents are clear of any furniture or rugs to improve air flow and comfort. If your home has radiators, place heat-resistant reflectors between radiators and walls. In the winter, this will help heat the room instead of the wall.

Window

• During the winter months, replace your screens with storm windows to provide an extra barrier to the cold outside air. Caulk and weather-strip around windows and door frames that leak air. If replacing windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified models designed for your area, and save $20-95 per year in energy costs. With proper installation to ensure all gaps around them are sealed, ENERGY STAR qualified windows can help improve your comfort, cut drafts, and reduce fading of interior furnishings.
• Learn how to fix problems with moisture on windows in your home.

Fireplace Damper

• Close the flue damper tightly when not in use. Otherwise, warmed or cooled air can easily escape from the house.
• A chimney is designed to remove by-products from a fire by creating a draft. The draft also pulls air from your home up the chimney-air that you've paid to cool or heat. Even without a fire in the fireplace, there still will be a draft in the chimney as long as there's a temperature difference between indoors and out. Closing the damper will keep air conditioned (or warmed) air in the living space where it belongs.

Home Theatre System

• Look for the ENERGY STAR on consumer electronics products. These products use less energy without sacrificing quality or performance. Seal any holes with caulk or spray foam where pipes or TV/cable wires and vents enter or exit your home.
• Consumer electronics play an increasingly larger role in your home's energy consumption, accounting for up to 15 percent of household electricity use. Many consumer electronics products use energy even when switched off. Electronics equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR help save energy when off, while maintaining features like clock displays, channel settings, and remote control functions.
• Unplug any battery chargers or power adapters when not in use.

Outside of the House

A/C Unit

• When buying new heating and cooling equipment such as a central air conditioning unit, proper sizing and quality installation are critical to your home's energy efficiency and comfort.
• Remember: Bigger doesn't always mean better. Oversized equipment can cause reduced comfort and excessive noise.
• Oversizing also can shorten the life of the equipment by causing it to cycle on and off more frequently than a properly sized unit. However, undersized equipment can reduce the efficiency and accelerate wear on system components, leading to early failure. Learn more about Quality Installation of heating and air conditioning equipment.

Porch Light

• The outdoor porch or post lamp is one of the highest used light fixtures in a home, and is the perfect place to install ENERGY STAR qualified lighting products. Many compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) will fit easily into existing porch lights. Or install a new ENERGY STAR qualified outdoor fixture that saves energy through advanced CFL technology, a motion sensor and/or a photocell that turns the light on only when someone is present or on at night and off in the morning.

Thermal Boundary

• The exterior of your home-the outer walls, ceiling, windows, and floor-is called the "envelope" or "shell." Sealing and insulating-done by a knowledgeable homeowner or skilled contractor-can save up to 20% on heating and cooling costs (or up to 10% on total annual energy bills). It will also make your home more comfortable and help your heating and cooling system run more efficiently.
• If your attic is accessible and you like home improvement projects, you can Do-It-Yourself with help from our DIY Guide to Sealing and Insulating with ENERGY STAR (2MB), which offers step-by-step instructions for sealing common air leaks and adding insulation to the attic.

Hire a Contractor

Learn about how to hire a contractor, what kinds of tools they use and how to find a contractor in your area.

• 10 Tips to Finding the Right Contractor
• Diagnostic Tools - used by contractors
• Home Energy Rater - helps you find contractors in your area