
In Your Home – Conserve Energy
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Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month.
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If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms.
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Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120.
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Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket.
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Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods.
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Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time.
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Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 .
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When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door.
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Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy.
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Unplug seldom used appliances.
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Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove.
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Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot.
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Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended.
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Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use.
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Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models.
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Only use electric appliances when you need them.
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Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy.
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Keep your thermostat at 78 in summer.
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Keep your thermostat higher in summer when you are away
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Insulate your home as best as you can.
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Install weather stripping around all doors and windows.
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Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work.
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Plant trees to shade your home.
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Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means.
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Replace old windows with energy efficient ones.
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Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible.
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Connect your outdoor lights to a timer.
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Buy green electricity – electricity produced by low – or even zero-pollution facilities. In your home-reduce toxicity
In Your Home – Reduce Toxicity
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Eliminate mercury from your home by purchasing items without mercury, and dispose of items containing mercury at an appropriate drop-off facility when necessary (e.g. old thermometers).
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Learn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals.
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Buy the right amount of paint for the job.
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Review labels of household cleaners you use. Consider alternatives like baking soda, scouring pads, water or a little more elbow grease.
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When no good alternatives exist to a toxic item, find the least amount required for an effective, sanitary result.
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If you have an older home, have paint in your home tested for lead. If you have lead-based paint, cover it with wall paper or other material instead of sanding it or burning it off.
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Use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers.
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Have your home tested for radon.
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Use cedar chips or aromatic herbs instead of mothball
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In Your Yard
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Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment.
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Use an electric lawn- mower instead of a gas-powered one.
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Leave grass clippings on the yard-they decompose and return nutrients to the soil.
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Use recycled wood chips as mulch to keep weeds down, retain moisture and prevent erosion.
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Use only the required amount of fertilizer.
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Minimize pesticide use.
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Create a wildlife habitat in your yard.
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Water grass early in the morning.
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Rent or borrow items like ladders, chain saws, party decorations and others that are seldom used.
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Take actions that use non hazardous components (e.g., to ward off pests, plant marigolds in a garden instead of using pesticide).
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Put leaves in a compost heap instead of burning them or throwing them away. Yard debris too large for your compost bin should be taken to a yard-debris recycler.
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