You might expect 25 tips, but we’re trying to teach conservation here! :-)

1. Turn off equipment and appliances, including stereos, DVD players, and computers, when not in use.
2. Keep exterior doors and windows closed when using your heat or AC system. Set your thermostat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Clean or replace heat/ac filters monthly.
4. Open window coverings in the wintertime on sunny days to help warm the rooms.
5. Close window coverings in the summer to keep the room cool during the day.
6. Close your fireplace damper to keep heated air in during winter, warm air out in summer.
7. Clean refrigerator coils, and don’t set the temperature too low.
8. Be sure to wash only full loads when using your clothes washer and dryer. Wash in cold water, or wash in warm water and rinse in cold water. Clean the dryer lint trap after each use. Check vent for clogging routinely. Consider line-drying your clothes if possible, even if only occasionally.
9. Lower the water heater temperature to 120 degrees F or lowest setting recommended by manufacturer.
10. Wash only full dishwasher loads. Use the energy saver, air-dry cycle, or if possible, open the door and let dishes dry naturally.
11. Cook complete meals of several dishes simultaneously in the oven.
12. Reduce your swimming pool water temperature and the number of months you heat your pool.
13. Replace existing lamps with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs). You can save up to 75% on your lighting costs by converting to low-wattage lamps and fixtures.
14. Use hardwired motion sensors for indoor and outdoor lighting.
15. Use dimmer switches, timers, or motion sensors on incandescent lights.
16. Caulk windows, doors, pipes, and anywhere air leaks in and out. Use weather stripping around windows, doors and pipes.
17. Provide shading for your air conditioner.
18. Shade your home with deciduous plants or shades, awnings to block heat during summer months.
19. Use a swimming pool cover when you’re not using the pool. A cover controls water evaporation, keeps the pool warmer, and keeps the pool cleaner so the filter runs less often.
20. Test your central heating/cooling system’s ducts for air leakage. Up to 30% of the heated or cooled air is lost through leaky ducts.
21. Use whole house or attic fans to cool your house.
22. Insulate your walls and attics. Insulating ceilings to R-30 standards if your attic is less than R-11 may significantly reduce heating and cooling costs.
23. Replace your central natural gas furnace with a newer, more fuel efficient model.
24. Replace your pool pump and motor with a new two-speed or variable speed pool pump and motor.