Conservation Tips

Cooking, cleaning and washing dishes uses a lot of water and energy, but there are things we can do to slow the flow.

• Run the dishwasher instead of washing by hand. This uses less hot water, and could save you up to $40 per year.
• Make sure that your appliances fit the size of your household. Oversized refrigerators or dishwashers are wasteful if there are only a couple of people in the house.
• Don’t run the dishwasher until it is completely full.
• Scrape leftover food off of dishes instead of rinsing them.
• Don’t let water run when rinsing fruits and vegetables. Place them in a shallow pan and fill it with water.
• Always buy Energy Star appliances. They cost less to operate and will save you money over their lifetime. Also look for high-efficiency features such as automatic shut-off.
• Install low-flow aerators on faucets. Replacing these screw-on tips can reduce the flow rate so that you use less water every time you use the faucet.
• Check regularly for leaky faucets, which can waste 1,600 gallons of water each year.
• Check the temperature in your refrigerator. If the temp is lower than 37 degrees, you are wasting money. There is no need to set your fridge lower, and the freezer should remain between 0 and 5 degrees.

Washing clothes seems like a continuous chore – you get everything clean and folded…and as soon as you get dressed for the day, the cycle begins anew. Especially in homes with children, it seems like there is always a pile waiting to be washed.

Since the washer and dryer both use energy and water, adopting a few simple habits can really rack up the savings.

• Wash full loads. This seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes we are tempted to wash clothes as soon as they get dirty – this wastes a whole lot of water so it is smarter to wait until you have a full load.
• Use cold water. Lightly soiled clothes will get perfectly clean using cold water, and you won’t pay the extra heating cost. Reserve the use of hot water only for clothes that are very dirty.
• Use the high-speed spin cycle. It removes more water from your clothes before they leave the washer – so that they won’t have to spend as much time in the dryer.
• Choose an Energy Star washing machine. Appliances with this rating use 35% less water and 20% less energy than standard machines.

t’s a running theme on many a sitcom – and rings true in many of our homes. The image of Dad walking from room to room, switching off lights. Turns out he’s onto something; lighting accounts for 6% of energy costs in the average home.

• Switch to LED light bulbs. These last longer, and use less electricity than traditional incandescent bulbs.
• Turn off the lights! Simple – if you’re not in the room, the light doesn’t need to be on.
• Keep lights clean. If lights are covered in dust, their output can be cut by 25% – so you’ll find yourself using supplemental lighting.
• Purchase Energy Star light fixtures & lamps. These appliances use one-quarter of the energy of traditional fixtures.

Your home’s protective outer shell – Sealing & insulation: An effective way to instantly lower your heating and cooling bills by 30% is by properly insulating and sealing your home.

• Caulk cracks & gaps. Caulk is the easiest way to seal air leaks. It can be used to fill any gaps less than ¼-inch wide, and is available at any hardware store.
• Weather-strip windows & doors. Sealing air gaps around windows and at the base of your doors prevents air from escaping – and also prevents outside air from getting in.
• Find a weatherization program. If you need help financing the energy-efficient upgrades to your home, the Weatherization Assistance Program can help. Check with your state energy office or come see us at the Utilities Commission for details.

Water only as needed, and only before 10am, or after 4pm. Water no more than one hour per zone.

During Daylight Saving Time

Irrigation is allowed two days a week from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November. Designated days:

• Wednesday & Saturday at homes that have addresses that end in an odd number or have no address
• Thursday & Sunday at homes that have addresses ending in an even number

During Eastern Standard Time

Irrigation is allowed one day a week from the first Sunday in November until the second Sunday in March. Designated days:

• Saturday at homes that have addresses that end in an odd number or have no address