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Open and close drapes to help heat and cool rooms

In the summer, close drapes and blinds during the hottest parts of the day to keep the sun from heating your rooms. Standard window blinds can be quite effective at keeping your house cool in summer, reducing heat gain by up to 45%.

In the winter, open drapes and blinds during the day to allow the sun to warm your home, and close drapes and blinds during the evening to keep the heat inside. Conventional drapes or curtains reduce heat loss from a room by only 10%. Convection carries hot air between the curtain and the window, where the air loses heat, falls below the bottom of the curtain (and out the sides) and draws in more hot air above. Drapes or blinds that are close to the window and snug on all sides can reduce heat loss by as much as 25%.

For more information, visit GreenEnergyEfficientHomes.com.

Turn off lights in areas that are not being used

This is the simplest behavioral change that you and your family can make to your daily energy-saving regimen! Making a difference starts with small changes. Learn more about when to turn off your lights from EnergySavers.gov.

Substitute natural light for electrical light

Open your curtains to allow natural lighting in, and close them if the room gets too warm. Using light that is already available during daytime hours reduces energy output from light bulbs, saving you money. Learn more about daylighting from EnergySavers.gov.

Set up Power Management on desktop computers and laptops

The average desktop PC wastes half of the energy it consumes and 75% of energy consumption occurs when no one is in front of the computer! Did you know that a desktop computer left on 24/7 without power management can use up 600 kWh per year? That same computer will use only 200 kWh per year if power management is enabled. Of all the energy savings possible from household plug-in electronics, power management accounts for as much as 40%! By turning on your computer’s energy saving features, you can save over $60 a year in energy costs and reduce your CO₂ emissions by nearly half a ton. Learn ten ways to reduce your computer’s energy consumption.

Use the ENERGY STAR® guide to activate power management settings on your computer or run the ENERGY STAR® Wizard for CPUs running Windows 2000 or Windows XP operating systems.

Turn Off the TV When No One is Watching

Turning off the television when no one is watching or watching 25% less television in general can reduce your household energy use by 0.6% every year!

Turn off computer peripherals when not in use

Most likely, when you turn on your computer, your printer, scanner, and other peripherals come on too, even though you may only use these devices once or twice per week. Keep them turned off, and turn them on only when you need them, or use a smart power strip that turns them on and off automatically when you start up or shut down your computer!