Drive safely-and not just when baby’s on board. Any aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration or hard braking) wastes gasoline and lowers your highway gas mileage by 33% and city mileage by 5%

Keep up with car maintenance. A clean air filter-important because it keeps dirt and other foreign particles from entering the engine-can improve gas mileage by as much as 10%. Properly inflated and aligned tires will improve gas mileage by 3%.
 

As much as 85% of the energy used for washing clothes goes toward heating the water. Switching the setting from hot to warm (cold for your colors) will cut a load’s energy use in half.

Quick fixes for your dryer: clean the lint filter after every load to improve air circulation. Dry towels and heavier cottons separately from your lighter-weigh clothes. Don’t “over-dry”- and if your machine has a moisture sensor (it automatically shuts off once the clothes are dry), use it.

Regularly defrost your manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers. Don’t allow more than one-quarter of an inch of frost to build up. Frost buildup decreases energy efficiency.

Cover liquids, and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make your fridge work harder.

When shopping for appliances, think of any new purchase as having two price tags. The first and more obvious cost is the purchase price. The second? The cost of operating the appliance during its lifetime-in other words, your monthly utility bill for that appliance (likely to last you for the next 10 to 20 years). On average, refrigerators last for 13 years, room air conditioners and dishwashers last for 11, and clothes washers last for about 9.

Conduct home energy audits. If you’re handy or someone in your family is a contractor, you can perform your own home energy audit to pinpoint problem areas. Look for holes or cracks in your walls and ceilings and around windows, doors, electrical outlets, and lighting and plumbing fixtures, to make sure air isn’t leaking into or out of your home, and caulk inside and out, where necessary. Make sure all appliances and your heating and cooling systems are still working properly. Old worn-out equipment that doesn’t function properly can lead to higher bills. Also consider using light controls, like dimmers or timers, to reduce your family’s lighting-energy use.

If you don’t have the expertise for the job, you can also pay for a professional energy audit. An energy auditor should do a room-by-room examination of your home, as well as a thorough examination of past utility bills. To prepare for your appointment, make a list of any existing problems, such as condensation and uncomfortable or drafty rooms, and have a summary of your home’s yearly energy bills available. Visit the Residential Energy Services Network to locate an auditor in your area.

Enter your zip code into the Rebate Finder on the Energy star website (

www.energystar.gov) to find out about rebates and other offers in your area.

HEATING AND COOLING