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Zone lighting can help reduce your energy bills and increase the useful lighting in your home. Bright lights (60-100 watts) should be concentrated in areas for reading, working or cooking, while reduced lighting (25-40 watts) is sufficient for hallways or living rooms. Consider dimmer switches for multi-use areas and motion detectors for outdoor lights.
3. Support green power
Florida Power and Light now offers a voluntary green power program called Sunshine Energy. For a fee of $9.75 per month, FPL costumers can help fund the development of clean, renewable solar energy facilities that will eliminate thousands of pounds of CO2 emissions.
Florida Power and Light: Sunshine Energy
4. Get paid for saving energy
Sign up for Florida Power and Light rebates program to save energy and earn money! Receive rebates for your efforts to insulate your home, retrofit your air-conditioning ductwork or begin an energy management program.
Florida Power and Light: Home Services and Rebates
5. Regulate your space
Nearly half of the average home energy bill is space heating and cooling. Adjust your thermostat throughout the day, turning it up or down when you are out, or consider purchasing a programmable thermostat.
6. Insulate your hot water tank
Water heating accounts for 15% of the electric bill. To cut your energy costs, turn your water heater temperature down to 120º F. Install insulation around the water tank and hot water pipes—an old blanket secured with duct tape will do. Place your hot water tank in place that is not air-conditioned. When replacing the hot water heater, be sure to purchase an ENERGY STAR model.
7. Keep your refrigerator cool
Freezers and refrigerators run constantly, so an efficient model can save significant amounts of energy. When purchasing a refrigerator, look for ENERGY STAR models with ENERGY STAR ratings and power-saving switches. Avoid ice and water dispensers, which waste energy. Set your refrigerator thermostat at 40ºF and the freezer at 5ºF.. Keep your refrigerator cool by locating it away from the heater, stove, oven or clothes dryer. Allow ample space behind the refrigerator and vacuum your refrigerator coils regularly.
8. Retrofit with ENERGY STAR
Replace your old and inefficient appliances with new energy-saving models. By converting your entire household to ENERGY STAR, you can save up to $400 annually!
ENERGY STAR Products
9. Cook with efficiency
When cooking on the stovetop, use burners that match your pot size and always cover pots with a lid to save energy. Pressure-cooking, stir-fry and steaming help minimize cooking time. Avoid using the oven in the summer, and consider cleaning the oven by hand, as the self-cleaning option is very wasteful. Keep stovetop burner pans clean, so they reflect more heat. Use a kettle for tea, and if you use a coffee machine, pour your coffee into a thermos to keep it warm rather than leaving the machine on.
10. Wash and dry with care
To save energy and water, set washing machines to cold water and only wash full loads of laundry. Use the short cycle whenever possible. Electric dyers consumer large amounts of energy. To help conserve, try an old solar-powered standard—the clothesline! The Florida sunshine will dry your laundry quickly and efficiently, plus you will avoid the excess heat created by using the dryer indoors. If you use an electric dryer, be sure to locate it in a space that is not cooled by central air. Check the dryer vent regularly to ensure that it is clean and closes properly. To reduce drying time, separate laundry loads into light and heavy fabric and do several loads in succession—a warm dryer uses less energy.
Save energy throughout your home with these "green design" ECO-Tips:
Design Your Green Home
Keep Cool Naturally
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