Recent Green Weeks:
October 17:
Make Your Heater More Efficient
October 10:
Repair Instead of Replacing
October 3:
Program Your Thermostat
September 26:
Dispose of Prescription Drugs Safely
September 19:
Give Carpooling a Try
September 12:
Set the Water Heater to 120 Degrees
September 5:
Cook More Efficiently
August 29:
Use Cold Water for Laundry
August 22:
Find New Uses for Old Phones
August 8:
"Bee" Kind to Pollinators: Limit or Avoid Pesticide Use
August 1:
Reduce Waste: End Junk Mail!
July 25:
Encourage Pollination: Help Bees!
July 18:
Use Less Oil: Walk or Bike at Least Once this Week Instead of Driving
July 11:
Water Lawns and Outdoor Plants in the Morning or Evening Only
July 4:
Practice Safe Souvenir Buying
June 20:
Reuse Paper Scraps
June 13:
Safely Dispose of Hazardous Wastes
June 6:
Give New Life to Old Stuff
May 30:
Make Your Own Non-Toxic Cleaners
May 23:
Find Ways to Consume Less
May 16:
Reuse your food scraps and yard waste: make compost!
May 9:
Make Sure Your Seafood's Sustainable
May 2:
Use a Low Flow Showerhead
April 25:
Reduce Weight in your Vehicle
April 18:
Use a Reusable Water Bottle
April 11:
Switch to Fluorescent Bulbs
April 4:
Buy in Bulk
March 28:
Unplug Your Appliances When They're Not in Use!
March 21:
Turn Off Your Engine Instead of Idling Your Car
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Make Your Heater More Efficient
What to do:
Anything you can do to make your heating system more efficient will have a big impact on home energy use. Programming your thermostat is one simple way to reduce heating costs. Fortunately, there's even more that you can do.
If you make sure the air filter in your furnace is clean, your furnace won't have to work as hard to circulate air. The easier its job, the less energy it uses! If you use a disposable filter, change it as soon as it gets dirty, and at least every three months. If you have a reusable filter, vacuum it as soon as it gets dirty, and at least once a month.
Even if you rent or don't have access to your heating system, there are things you can do to make your heating more efficient. For example, make sure that vents aren't blocked by furniture, so that air flow patterns aren't disrupted. Or, if you have a radiator, you can put a reflector between it and the wall so that it heats the room, not the wall. For more tips on saving energy that are specifically designed for renters, try reading Energy Star's Top 10 Tips for Renters.
Why it Helps the Earth:
The fossil fuel burning power plants that produce most of the United States' electricity are one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gasses. So the more energy you save, the more emissions and pollution you prevent.
What the Research Says:
Heating and cooling homes accounts for 45 percent of total household energy use, according to the Rocky Mountain Institute's Home Energy Brief 4: Space Heating and Cooling and a 2001 study by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Energy Star estimates that heating accounts for at least 29 percent of energy use in most households, and provides a chart showing the relative energy use of various categories of items, including heating and cooling systems.
Why it Helps You:
Because heating is expensive!
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Last Revision: October 18, 2010