Quentin Vijoux
Save a Little
Use your curtains. During cold months, leave them open during the day to allow sunlight in; in the summer, keep curtains shut in rooms where the sunlight hits. Monthly Savings*: 95 cents to $3.30.
Install motion detectors on lights in kids’ rooms. The lights will never be left on by accident. Monthly Savings: 36 cents per lightbulb.
Save a Little More
Insulate your hot-water heater. If it’s more than seven years old, wrap it in a precut jacket or blanket (available at hardware stores). Monthly Savings: $1.50.
Use a programmable thermostat. Set it to raise or lower the temperature setting automatically when you’re not home. Monthly Savings: $4.50.
Use electronics wisely. Unplug them when not in use; they draw power even if they’re off. And use a laptop on a hard, flat surface, rather than a soft, cushy one, such as a bed or a carpet. The latter can block airflow and lead to overheating. Monthly Savings: $4.50 to $14.50.
Clean your electric heating system or air conditioner’s filter and fan. It’s best to do this once a month, but even once a year will make a difference. Monthly Savings: $5.
Launder everything in cold. Ninety percent of the energy used by a top-loading washing machine is for heating water. Monthly Savings: $4 to $6.
Save a Lot
Use a low-flow showerhead. A low-flow head uses less than 2 1/2 gallons a minute, compared with a whopping seven gallons for old models, which means less water to heat. Monthly Savings: $12.
Enroll in a “cycling” program. Your utility company will use a radio signal to shut off your heating system or air-conditioning periodically during peak-usage times on weekdays — say, for 15 minutes over a three-hour period. monthly -savings: $10.
*Monthly savings based on the 2006 national-average household electrical bill of $96.
