Heating
- Turn down the heat to 65 degrees F. at night and when you leave home. (However babies and elderly people need a higher room temperature than other people and a safer room temperature for this, 70 degrees F.
- Don’t block radiators or heating vents with furniture or draperies.
- Vacuum the dust from radiators, heat and air conditioning vents, and baseboard heaters because dust reduces their efficiency.
- Bleed air trapped in radiators to improve water circulation.
- When the heating season begins, close all storm windows and lock your inside sashes. If you open a bedroom window at night, close the door.
- Close your curtains at night to cut down heat loss.
- Close closet doors.
- Shut the fireplace damper so heat doesn’t go up the chimney.
- Cover through-the-wall air conditioners so cold air can’t leak into your home. Close central air conditioning vents.
Hot Water
- Have dripping faucets fixed.
- When shaving or washing up, fill the sink half-way instead of letting the water run.
- Turn off the water heater when you’re away from home for an extended time (such as a weekend trip or vacation).
- Take showers instead of baths.
- If you have a gas water heater, drain half a bucket of water from the faucet at the bottom of your water heater tank every two months to remove rust and sludge that can collect there.
- Set your water heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees F.
Washer and Dryer
- Always put a full load of clothes in the washer.
- Presoak heavily soiled clothes to avoid having to rewash them, and use cold water, not hot.
- Remove clothes from the dryer when they’re slightly damp if you are going to iron immediately
- Keep the lint filter clean.
- Do two or more dryer loads in a row.
- Dry your clothes outdoors when possible.
*Disclaimer* This information was taken from Western Mass Electric Company
