News got you down these days? Looking for a way to take action at home and in your community? Getting your home ready for fall is a simple way to save energy and money for yourself while protecting our air by cutting carbon pollution.
Saving energy at home is simple and has a big impact. Home heating accounts for about 1/4 of all the energy you use. Lights are the second largest use. Because Idaho relies on more coal and gas power plants in the winter, right when we turn up the heat and turn on the lights, saving energy in the winter cuts carbon pollution while saving you money. By adding a little insulation and switching to new, long-lived LED lights, you can help avoid burning fossil fuels.
Seal air leaks around windows, doors, and in your attic
- The basics: If you feel for cold air around doors and windows, then you are wasting energy while your home is drafty and cold.
- This infographic shows all the potential places your home could leak warm air our or let cold drafts in.
- If you want a systematic way to assess your home, check out this guide from EnergyStar.
- Looking for some simple weekend projects? Check out these handy do-it-yourself guides from the Department of Energy.
Simple actions to save energy and protect our climate
- The basics: You can choose how to set your thermostat and which lights to leave on. Small changes build up to have large impacts.
- Set your thermostat to 68 degrees when you are home and awake. Turn it down 10 to 15 degrees when you are asleep or away. Just setting your thermostat correctly can save 5% to 15% on your energy bill.
- We are in the midst of a lightbulb revolution, and new LED lights offer pleasing color and long life. Save 95% or more by switching the five lights used most often at home .
- Vampire load is something we all could do without. Modern electronics drain energy even when turned off. Use a power strip for televisions, stereos, phone chargers and other electronics.
Join Captain Kilowatt and be an Energy Hero
October is National Energy Action Month. Celebrate by joining Captain Kilowatt in taking some simple steps to save energy at home. Share your picture of sealing a doorframe, changing a lightbulb, or adjusting your thermostat on ICL’s facebook page. Anyone who shares a photo by the end of October will be entered into a drawing for an ICL knit hat!