• Keep air conditioning thermostats at 78 degrees or higher during summer months.
• Use ceiling fans, which allows for setting the thermostat at a higher temperature.
• Use nonessential appliances such as clothes washers, dryers and dishwashers during off-peak hours (before noon or after 6:00 p.m.) Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Close drapes and blinds to keep out direct sunlight during hot periods.
• Avoid using evaporative coolers or humidifiers at the same time an air conditioner is running.
• Run swimming pool equipment for the minimum amount of time, and during off-peak hours.
• Limit the opening of refrigerators.
• Reduce hot, outdoor air from entering the house and eliminate the loss of cooled air with weather stripping and caulking around windows and doors.
• Clean or replace the air conditioner filter regularly to help it run more effectively.
• Check and clean refrigerator coils regularly, especially during the summer. Dirty coils on the back or bottom of the refrigerator can make it work harder than necessary. See appliance owner's manual for maintenance instructions.
• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, which can last up to 10 times longer than old-fashioned bulbs, and produce less heat while using only a quarter of the electricity.
• Turn off lights when leaving a room.
• Use task lighting to directly illuminate work areas.
• Install time clocks or photoelectric cells to control exterior lighting, advertising sign lighting and some interior lighting.
• Install dimmer or occupancy switches where appropriate to lower energy use such as in stairwells, copy rooms, restrooms.
• Insulate the hot water piping from the water heater to the wall or ceiling pipe penetration. Wrap the tank in an insulating blanket if the water heater's energy factor is less than 0.59.
• Reduce use of all non-essential electric appliances, such as dishwashers and clothes dryers, especially during the late afternoon and early evening. Air-dry dishes instead of using the dishwasher's drying cycle.
• Cook outdoors or use a microwave oven and small appliances like a toaster oven and electric skillet to avoid heating up the kitchen and adding moisture to the air. Microwaves use less than half the power of a conventional oven and cook food in about one-fourth the time.
• Plug home electronics, such as computers, TVs and VCRs, into power strips and turn power strips off when equipment is not in use.
• Lower the thermostat on the hot water heater; 115° is comfortable for most uses.
• Leaking electricity from electronics costs Americans millions annually. (About $750 million a year for TVs and about $600 million a year for VCRs.) To avoid the leaking of electricity, either unplug electronics when not in use, or plug into a power strip that can be switched off.
• Use as little liquid as possible when cooking - surplus water requires more heating and therefore more gas is used than is necessary.
• When cooking, match the burner to the vessel. Use a small vessel on a small burner. A large burner consumes 15 percent more gas.
• Turn off PCs, monitors, printers, and copiers nightly and on weekends. If unable to switch off the entire computer, turn off the monitor and printer.
• Turn computers, copiers and other office equipment to low-power standby mode when not in use.
• Use laptop computers and ink jet printers, if available, since they use 90% less energy than desktop and laser printers.
• Implement paper-reducing strategies, such as double-sided printing, re-using paper, and using e-mail instead of sending memos or faxing documents not only save energy, but to conserve other resources.
• Connect PCs, monitors, fax machines and computer "peripherals" to one power strip, and then turn off that power strip when not in use and every night.
• Avoid rapid acceleration to reduce fuel consumption.
• Avoid hard braking and sudden stops. Stay alert and anticipate traffic lights, stop signs and merges. Use turn signals. Traffic will move more smoothly, which saves fuel for everyone.
• When starting out, shift up to the next gear (manual transmission) as soon as possible without straining the engine.
• Drive more slowly. One study reported that for all vehicles tested there was at least a 20% loss in fuel economy as cruising speed was increased from 55 to 75 mph. So, 20 miles per gallon (mpg) at 55 mph becomes 16 mpg or less at 75 mph.
• Remove extra weight from the car; 100 extra pounds may cost 1 mpg.
• Avoid using roof racks and remove when not in use.
• Use cruise control on highway trips.
• For any stop lasting more than a minute, shut off the engine rather than letting it idle.
• Avoid warming the engine up before driving; it is not necessary, even in cold weather.
• Do not rev engine before shutting it off; this wastes fuel and can dilute motor oil, leading to excessive wear on engine parts.
• Reduce the use of the air conditioner at low driving speeds. When driving over 40 mph using the air conditioner costs less fuel than having windows open.
• Park in the shade and/or leave windows slightly open to reduce the need for air conditioning.
• Check tires; an under-inflated tire can decrease fuel economy by 2%.
• Refrain from topping off the tank at the gas pumps.
• Replace air and fuel filters regularly as instructed by the vehicle maintenance manual; change air filter more often if driving in dusty conditions.
• Keep engine properly tuned.
• Use API certified "Energy Conserving" motor oil, either conventional or synthetic. Use the service classification and viscosity specified for the vehicle.
• Avoid buying "aggressive" tread tires.
• Determine gasoline mileage periodically. Declining mileage can be an early indicator of mechanical problems or a need for servicing.
• Carpool if possible for traveling to work or for errands.
• Combine errands to reduce the number of trips.
• For shorter errands, consider walking or bicycling.
• Try to take one less car trip per week.
• Consider shorter vacation and recreation trips; learn what's special in nearby nature, culture and history.

Be sure your home is adequately insulated. Adding insulation to attic areas is usually pretty easy. Other areas, such as outside walls, provide a more challenging project if extra insulation is needed.

Check the seals around windows, doors, electrical outlets or any other potential sources for escaping air. Seal these areas using a good quality caulk, and be sure to re-examine your handiwork every few years.

Inside your home, weather stripping around moving parts of windows and doors can help seal off potential areas of leakage or drafts.

Storm Systems - Storm doors and windows can provide additional energy savings by preventing air loss and by creating an insulating layer of air.

With a programmable thermostat, you can program winter temperature at 65ｼ at night, then back to 72ｼ during the day. This simple program can save up to 15% on heating bills. If you need your furnace professionally serviced or inspected, call N&M Cool Today Heating, Cooling & Plumbing. We service and maintain all makes and models of air conditioners, furnaces and heat pumps.

New showerheads use a maximum of 2.5 gallons per minute, which saves you water and energy. By replacing your older showerhead, an average family of four can save from $60 (gas) to $150 (electric). The amount of water saved is about 15,000 gallons!

You should occasionally check your toilets for leaks. Just place a few drops of food coloring in the tank (NOT the bowl). You can also use a few tablespoons of instant coffee or Kool-Aid. In thirty minutes, if the water in the bowl is colored, the tank is leaking and the stopper and valve seal may need to be replaced.

Insulating pipes and ducts that run through unheated space will result in a significant savings in your energy bill. Heat escapes from bare hot-water pipes causing the water sitting in those pipes to cool down between uses. This results in running extra water from the faucet to get hot water. Wrapping these pipes will save you money. Wrapping cold water lines won't save you energy dollars, but will eliminate dripping and sweating from condensation, avoiding water spots.

Just do it! Fix those dripping faucets. Turn the faucet off when you are not using the water. Yes, even when you are still standing there and will be using it again shortly. Did you know that showers cost less than baths? You will also use less water if you install energy efficient showerheads.

Don't wash away your money with the dishes. Always run your dishwasher full. You may live in an area where it is more economical to run it during non-peak hours or in the evening. Ditto for the washing machine! Always run it full. The biggest laundry expense is heating the water.

Turn down the temperature on your water heater. If you set the temperature at 120° F or below, you will save about 4% of your energy cost per 10° that you lower your thermostat. When you go on vacation, use the "vacation setting" on your water heater if available.