• Thaw frozen foods before cooking them in the oven (except convection models).
• Dust or vacuum the grills and coils of your refrigerator and freezer regularly, especially in homes where pet hair is abundant.
• Air spaces between foods in a refrigerator improve cooling efficiency. Freezers cost less to operate when packed full of food.
• Defrost your freezer before frost gets one-quarter-inch thick.
• Make sure refrigerator door seals fit airtight. (This may only require adjusting doors.)
• Don't use an oven for toasting bread or for heating the house.
• Plan meals that require as few cooking appliances as possible. For example, cook several dishes in the oven at the same time.
• Use a timer instead of looking into the oven to see if food is done. The oven temperature drops at least 25 degrees each time you open the oven door.
• Keep range-top and burners clean.
• Match the size of your cooking pan to the electric range surface units used.
• Keep range grease vent clean.
• Cover pots to speed boiling.
• Microwave ovens are more efficient than conventional ovens.
• Only run your dishwasher with a full load of dishes.
• Rinse dishes in cold water.
• If your dishwasher doesn't have an energy-saver (fan only) drying cycle, open the door and air-dry the dishes.
• Use cold water to run your garbage disposal.

• Use cold-water washes whenever possible. Cold water rinses save money and prevent wrinkling.
• Don't over-dry clothes.
• Wait until you have a full load to use the washer and dryer, but don't overload. Clean the dryer’s lint filter before each load.
• Iron clothes which require cool temperatures first. Don't repeatedly heat up and cool the iron.

• Set water heater at 120 degrees. This saves electricity and prevents scalding.
• Put an insulation jacket on your water heater and insulate hot water pipes.
• Repair leaky faucets.
• Take short showers. Install a low-flow shower head.
• Turn off lights when not needed, keep lamps and lighting fixtures clean.
• Fluorescent lamps provide three to five times more light for each kilowatt-hour of electricity than do incandescent lamps.
• Use lower wattage lighting whenever possible.
• Shop for energy efficient light bulbs those that give off the most lumens of light per watt of electricity. Compare bulb ratings by dividing lumens by watts.

• Set your thermostat for 65 - 70 degrees during the day and 50 - 60 degrees at night.
• Clean or replace furnace filters often.
• Caulk, weather-strip and insulate.
• Don't block furnace ducts with draperies or furniture.
• Insulate your windows or add storm windows.
• Close off unoccupied rooms (unless you have a heat pump).
• Open draperies and shades in sunny windows. Close them at night.
• Use portable heaters only in small areas for short periods of time.
• Stop drafts at the bottom of doors and along window sills - - use a 3-inch by 36-inch cloth tube ("door snake") filled with sand or small beans or use a rolled up towel or rug.

For a brochure of energy-saving tips, you may download and print " Saving Electricity at Home". This file is in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format, and requires Acrobat Reader for viewing, downloadable from adobe.com:

Call the Conservation Help Line at 206.684.3800 or send email to rescons.scl@seattle.gov if you'd like us to mail you a copy of the appliance chart, or if you'd like more information on saving energy in the home.

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