We will help you find ways to save energy and money, while keeping your home comfortable. energy matter$

We will help you find ways to save energy and money, while keeping your home comfortable. energy matter$

Table of

contents Inside Your Home 2 Outside Your Home 10 What You Can Do 12

inside your home Simple things you can do to save energy.

Kitchen Refrigerators and Freezers Defrost frozen items in the refrigerator. This also helps cool the interior. Cool food before placing it in the freezer. Refrigerators need good air circulation to work efficiently. Coils in the back should be 2 to 3 inches away from the wall and should be vacuumed. Install refrigerators and freezers away from direct sunlight, ranges and heating equipment. Check the condition of door gaskets by placing a dollar bill against the frame and closing the door. If the bill can be pulled out with a very gentle tug, the door should be adjusted or the gasket replaced. Defrost the freezer when 1/4 of an inch of ice builds up. Do not place uncovered liquids in the refrigerator. The liquids give off vapors that make the refrigerator work harder and use more energy. Using the Stove and Food Preparation Cook during the cooler part of the day during the summer. Use your microwave oven to cook smaller portions. Cook several portions and freeze extras for future meals. Use pans with flat bottoms on the stove. Fit the pan to the size of the burner you use. Keep lids on pans when cooking. Never use the stove or oven to heat your home. It is unsafe and not efficient. Do not preheat oven to broil food. 3 Kitchen Sink Use sink stoppers; do not allow the water to run while washing your dishes. Use faucet aerators to rinse your dishes. Repair leaky faucets promptly. Use cold water to operate your garbage disposal. you DID KNOW Refrigerators and freezers may use 9% of your home energy. Microwaves use 90% less energy than conventional ovens. Every time you open the oven to peek at food, you lose 25-50 F of heating energy.

Dishwasher Scrape food off dishes and rinse lightly with cold water before placing them in the dishwasher. Run the dishwasher when it has a full load of dishes. Avoid using heat dry, rinse hold, and pre-rinse features. Use the air-dry option or open the door to dry the dishes. BATHROOM Do not waste water, particularly hot water. Do not allow water to run while brushing your teeth or shaving. Take short showers instead of baths. Do not over-dry your hair with an electrical dryer. It is a high energy user. Use the exhaust fan to lower the humidity in the bathroom. Repair leaking or dripping faucets. LAUNDRY Washing Machine Wash only full loads of laundry or set water level to size of load. Use cold water to wash laundry, using an all-temperature detergent. 4 Clothes Dryer Hang your laundry outside to dry when weather permits. Dry only full loads of laundry. Clean the lint filter before each load. Dry towels and heavy cottons in a separate load from light-weight fabrics. Vent the dryer to the outside of your home. Use the dryer and iron during the cooler part of the day in the summer. Buy clothing that requires little or no ironing. Take laundry out of the dryer immediately after the cycle ends to avoid ironing. Dry a few loads in a row to take advantage of the dryer s reserved heat. you DID KNOW About 14% of all hot water is used in sinks. The typical dishwasher uses 14 gallons of hot water per load. A family of 4, each showering 5 minutes a day (which is a short shower), consumes an average of 100 gallons of water a week. You can cut that in half by installing a low-flow shower head.

LIVING ROOM, DINING ROOM, BEDROOM Do not allow furniture to block heating and air conditioning vents. Use the sun to your advantage by opening shades in the winter and keeping them closed in the summer. Turn off lights, televisions, radios and other appliances when you are not in the room. Close the flue when fireplace is not in use. The fireplace should have tight fitting glass doors. Install foam insulating gaskets in cover plates of electrical outlets and light switches located on all walls. Close closet doors. Use a timer on the TV if you tend to fall asleep with the TV on. LIGHTS Consider fluorescent lights. Compact bulbs last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs and are ideal for hard-to-reach locations. Turn off lights when not in use. Keep lights, bulbs and shades dust free. Use natural light by placing work areas near windows. WATER HEATING Water Heater Set the thermostat at 120 F but no higher than 140 F. 5 Hot Water Pipes Wrap hot water pipes where exposed in unheated spaces. Repair any hot water leaks. 10% of your energy dollars is used to wash and dry laundry. If you exchange five 60-watt incandescent bulbs for five 15-watt compact fluorescent bulbs, you ll save about $50 a year in energy dollars. Compact fluorescent bulbs use 70% less energy and produce the same amount of light as regular (incandescent) bulbs.

HEATING AND COOLING Heating Clean and service your furnace before each season. This will maximize efficiency and avoid costly repairs. Clean/replace air filters as directed by your service technician. Check air conditioning and heating ducts for leaks. Have a contractor repair leaks and insulate air ducts as necessary. Vacuum baseboard heaters and do not place furniture in front of them. Set thermostats at the lowest comfortable level (65 to 70 F) during the winter. Seniors and babies need at least 70 F in the home. Wear hats and extra layers of clothing to keep warm. Consider pre-purchasing heating oil, if possible, in the summer for the winter season. 6 Cooling Set air conditioner at the highest comfortable temperature (78 F). Do not block air vents with furniture. Clean window air conditioner filters at least weekly. Open windows during cool hours of summer evenings. Use reversible exhaust fans to remove hot air and allow cool air to flow through your home. Blow air up in the winter, down in the summer. Close windows and curtains to keep cool air inside during the day and keep the sun s heat out. Close the doors and cooling vents in unused rooms. Buy Energy Star air conditioners. WINDOWS AND DOORS Install door sweeps on the bottom of doors leading to the outside and unheated areas. Windows and doors are primary sources of heating and cooling losses. you DID KNOW Water heating consumes 14% of your home s energy dollars. Energy Star air conditioners use 10% less energy than other models. Buy the right size.

Caulk and weather-strip windows and door frames to prevent air leaks. Use tape or rope caulking as a temporary seal. Use storm windows to control air and heat leaks through the glass. Storm windows made of plastic sheets can be installed from the inside. Consider the installation of double-glazed windows. Weatherize basement windows and doors. Install storm windows, caulking and weather-stripping when the weather is mild. BASEMENT AND ATTIC Insulate ceilings in unheated basements. Test and seal air leaks on a windy day. To test, hold a piece of tissue paper or feather duster near a window or a door, and watch for the paper to move. Caulk openings in the walls where water faucets, electric wires and conduits, telephone lines, fuel pipes, cable television, and chimneys enter. Waterproof the basement walls if necessary. Use pressurized expanding foam to fill large gaps at the junction of the basement. This will increase efficiency and avoid untimely, costly repairs. Add sidewall and attic insulation. OTHER TIPS Keep radios, toasters, ovens and other appliances away from water and install ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI). Use fluorescent lighting. 7 insulated attic hatch About 21% of the air in a home escapes through windows and doors. Approximately 13% of the air in a home escapes through openings made to install plumbing and utilities.

8 BUY ENERGY-EFFICIENT APPLIANCES Look for energy-saving features such as a power-saver switch and improved insulation materials. New convection ovens use 50% less energy and cook food in half the time. Computers in sleep mode use 70% less energy. Consult a plumber BEFORE you buy a water heater to determine what size and type is best for you and your family. Rule of thumb: 1-4 occupants = 30-50 gallons; 4-7 occupants = 50-80 gallons; 8 or more occupants = over 80 gallons. When replacing an existing water heater, install the unit as close to where the hot water will be used (includes dishwashing, laundry, and bathrooms). The hot water will stay warmer the shorter the distance it has to travel. If rooms requiring hot water are widely separated, it may be more sensible to install two or more smaller heaters rather than one central heater. Note: This tactic may not work if you use gas to heat water since the heater requires a source of gas as well as a flue. Buy Energy Star-labeled appliances. All new appliances have a large yellow label that tells you how much the appliance will cost to run. Energy Star refrigerators are 50% more energy-efficient than refrigerators made before 1993. Select a refrigerator or freezer that is just large enough for your needs. As compared to a 1994 model, an Energy Star washer will save you up to $110 a year in energy alone. A full-sized conventional washer uses 40 gallons of hot water while an Energy Star model uses 18 to 25 gallons. An Energy Star dishwasher can save you more than $25 a year in energy costs. Buy an Energy Star-rated air conditioner. For window units, an Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) rating of 11 or more is excellent. For central units, a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) rating of 15 is excellent. You can save 25% on cooling bills by replacing a unit with a SEER rating of 10 or less with a unit rated 13 or more. you DID KNOW Energy Star-rated TVs, DVDs, VCRs, cordless phones, and answering machines use from 25% to 33% less energy than conventional models. TV/DVD/VCR combinations use 50% less energy.

HEALTH AND SAFETY Install and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Use only approved, inspected and maintained heating sources. NOTES 9 Dehumidifiers can use more energy than some air conditioners.

outside your home Ways to seal up and tune up your home.

HEATING AND COOLING Have a service person perform preventive maintenance on your central air-conditioning unit before hot weather arrives. This will increase efficiency and avoid untimely, costly repairs. Plant deciduous trees (leaf-shedding trees) on the south and the west side of the home. Leaves block the intense sun in the summer. Trees bare of leaves in the fall allow sunlight to warm your home during the winter. OUTER WALLS Insulate where the outer wall meets the foundation. Consider adding insulation to your home s outer walls (blow-in insulation) or when re-siding your home. Caulk where two surfaces meet, like the siding and the chimney or attic louvers. Maintain the outside walls and siding by painting, repairing, replacing or tightening loose siding. Roof air vents and louvers reduce humidity and keep the house cool by increasing air circulation. NOTES 11 you DID KNOW Approximately 21% of the air in your home is lost through ceilings, floors and walls.

you can do what you can do

WRAP You may qualify for The Connecticut Energy Efficiency Funds (CEEF s) Weatherization Residential Assistance Partnership (WRAP) Program. WRAP helps low-income customers (renters or owners) with conservation services that: safely lower electric use reduce your home s heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer conserve hot water provide energy-efficient lighting WRAP technicians will: Examine your windows and doors and install heat-loss prevention measures. Check your home for adequate attic and sidewall insulation. Provide other weatherization services needed to make your home more energy efficient. Evaluate the efficiency of your heating system. Increase your lighting efficiency by providing compact fluorescent light bulbs and fluorescent table lamps. Examine your refrigerator to determine if it meets the program replacement criteria. All replacements are ENERGY STAR units and normally the same cubic size as the replacement. Install low-flow aerators on faucets and showerheads. Provide education on what was installed and additional ways to conserve. 13 To sign up for WRAP services, please call the WRAP unit at 1-800-388-9727. you DID KNOW The CEEF offers compact fluorescent bulbs and energy-efficient table lamps in addition to other energy-saving products. Go online www.cl-p.com or call 1-877-WISE-USE.

P.O. Box 270 Hartford, CT 06141-0270 1-800-286-2000 (1-860-947-2000 in Hartford and Meriden) www.cl-p.com or www.yankeegas.com AM Lithography Corporation 7/2008 5000. This brochure is paid for by CL&P and Yankee Gas customers.