Volker Neighborhood

Save Money Now!

Free things you can do to save on your heating bill

• Set the thermostat to 68° F when you are home, and 55° F when you are in bed or away from home.
• Close heating vents 90% of the way in unused rooms.
• Dress in layers (put on a sweater) instead of turning up the heat.
• Close curtains at night and open them in the morning. Windows on the south side will let in more sunlight and warmth.
• Don’t open windows or doors if you get warm. Turn down the thermostat or turn on a fan.
• Put a rolled up rug or towel along the bottom of any exterior door to keep out cold air.
• Don’t block heat registers with rugs or furniture.
• Flip the switch on your ceiling fan so that air blows along the walls in winter and straight down in summer.
• Remove window air conditioners in the fall.

Mostly free things you can do to save on your electric bill

• Open your curtains. Use natural light as much as possible.
• Clean light fixtures. Dust and dirt can reduce light output.
• Locate the lights used the most in your home and replace the regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs.
• Turn off lights and appliances when you leave a room.
• Keep the refrigerator coils and motor clean. dust and dirt make the motor work harder.
• Check the temperature inside your refrigerator and freezer. The refrigerator should be set between 38°-40° and 0° in the freezer.
• Thaw frozen foods in the refrigerator to lower cooking time and help cool the refrigerator.
• Defrost your freezer regularly. More than 1/4 inch of frost makes your freezer work harder and shortens the life of the motor.
• Try not to preheat the oven longer than 10 minutes. It isn’t needed and wastes energy.

Low cost things you can do to save on your hot water bill

• Turn the thermostat on your hot water heater down to 120° F or the low setting.
• Wash clothes in cold water and only wash full loads.
• Install faucet aerators on your kitchen and bathroom faucets.
• Install an insulation jacket on your hot water heater.
• Insulate hot water pipes, especially in unheated basements and crawl spaces.
• Fix any leaky pipes or faucets.
• Install a low flow shower head in your shower.
• Don’t lease the water running when you are washing or rinsing dishes, shaving or brushing your teeth.