Category: Home Energy

Take shorter showers

5/8/2026

According to PECO, “Water heating accounts for about 18% of home energy consumption.” Challenge yourself to take a 4-5 minute shower. Wash efficiently, shave with the water off, and avoid idle time soaking in the heat. You can also install a showerhead labeled with the EPA’s Watersense designation. Watersense labeled showerheads reduce water use when you shower, saving you money by reducing both your water consumption and energy use.

Photo by Jaysin Trevino, Flickr Commons

Avoid AI searches

3/20/2026

Skip AI when you don’t need it. For a quick answer, use a smaller or faster model to save energy, while reserving AI for tasks that genuinely require it.

Every time you ask AI for a recipe, draft a report, or ask for a summary, a data center draws power from the electrical grid, generates heat that must be cooled with water, and produces carbon emissions. A single query seems trivial. Multiplied by the billions of daily AI interactions now occurring worldwide, the cumulative impact is anything but.

Read at earth911.com

Insulate hot water pipes

3/6/2026

Insulating your hot water heater pipes retains heat in the water that reaches your faucets, saving energy and money.

According to PECO, “Insulating your water heater pipes can help recover lost heat, decrease the time required for hot water to reach your faucets, and save you money. You can install foam insulation yourself in just a few hours.” By retaining heat, the water that reaches the faucet is at a higher temperature. This allows you to reduce the temperature setting on your water heater, further saving energy and money.

Insulating your hot water pipes is an inexpensive DIY project, and the materials are readily available at hardware stores.

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

Stream on the smallest and most energy-efficient device possible

11/21/2025

Streaming on your laptop or phone uses a fraction of the energy required to stream on a TV

Read more at Everything Energy.com

Keep AC unit unblocked

7/25/2025

Your outdoor AC unit will work more efficiently if the area within two feet around it is kept clear of vegetation and debris that could block air flow.

Clear vegetation within two feet of your outdoor AC unit and clean debris from the interior and exterior of the unit. If airflow is obstructed, the unit will have to work harder, using more energy and driving up your electric bills. Leaves and grass clippings can also cause damage leading to costly repairs and shortening the life of the system.

Automate light use with sensors, motions detectors, and timers

5/23/2025

Having both indoor and outdoor lights with light sensors, motion detectors, or on timers automates turning lights on only when you need them, saving energy and money.

PECO estimates that you can save up to $15 per year by installing wall-mounted light sensors in your house and putting devices on timers so that they are turned off during the hours that they are not needed. You can save another $25 per year by installing outdoor lights with light sensors, so that they only turn on after dark, and motion sensors, so that they turn on just while you need them to see while you unlock your door. You get the benefit of security lights while minimizing the use of these higher wattage lights.

Read more from the Department of Energy.

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

Turn off your computer at night

3/28/2025

Turning your computer off at night could help you reduce its energy costs by 33%.

There is a misconception that the small surge of energy when turning on a computer uses more energy than leaving it on. It is also untrue that turning a computer on and off is harmful to the computer. Turning your computer off for the hours that it is not in use is the best way to reduce its energy consumption. Electronic devices, including your computer and monitor, draw some power even while turned off. Plugging these devices into a power strip and turning it off when you're not using them will save you even more. Allowing your computer to go into sleep mode when you are away from your desk is the helps reduce energy use during the day.

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

Line dry clothes outside, even in winter

2/14/2025

Even in the coldest months of winter, you can dry your clothes outside due to a process called sublimation.

Drying clothes outside is simple in summer but it’s also possible in the coldest months of winter. Due to a process called sublimation, water turns from a solid to a gas without having a liquid phase. Essentially, it evaporates without turning to water first, the same basic process as freeze-drying.

Read more at Ecowatch.com.

Use rechargeable instead of disposable batteries

1/17/2025

Rechargeable batteries cost a little more upfront than disposables, but they save you money in the long run because they can be reused hundreds of times. According to Consumer Reports, rechargeable batteries are useful for devices that draw a lot of power over a shorter amount of time and require frequent battery changes, such as toys and computer mice. Disposable batteries are still better suited for clocks and smoke detectors which draw a low amount of energy over a long time.

When they come to the end of their life, be sure to keep rechargeable batteries out of the landfill and instead deposit them where they are accepted for recycling, such as The Home Depot, and Lowes. Recycling rechargeable batteries not only recovers their toxic metals to keep them out of the environment but also reduces the need to mine metals needed for new batteries!

Read more at ConsumerReports.org

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

Open doors manually

11/22/2024

Open doors by hand without using electricity; only use the paddle to automatically open doors if you are otherwise unable to open doors manually.

It’s very straightforward: Every time a door is opened automatically, electricity is used; when opened manually, the electricity use is zero. Unless you truly need the assistance of the automatic door, resist using electricity to have the door opened for you and just open it by hand. Opening the door yourself is actually faster and more efficient than waiting for the motor. The slower speed of the automatic door also keeps it open longer, letting more heated or air-conditioned air leave the building. The high use of the automatic system also adds to its wear and tear, and a break-down of the system would have a greater impact on those who rely on this automation.

Read more at Recycle Nation.

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

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