Con Edison: Customer Central - energy-saving tips

Customer Central

energy-saving tips

Take the energy performance of your home or business to a whole new level this summer. Our portfolio of energy-efficiency rebates and incentives — some new, some tried and true — save you energy and money and help the environment. To visit our energy efficiency programs site, click here.

The following tips will help you save energy and money in the summer. Be sure to visit The Power of Green Web site for more energy saving ideas.

General

	When buying new appliances, choose ENERGY STAR-qualified models. They use 10 to 50 percent less electricity than standard models. A list of ENERGY STAR products is available at www.energystar.gov.
	Use the energy-saving setting for all appliances, particularly your refrigerator, air conditioner, washing machine, clothes dryer, and dishwasher.
	Cook outside on a barbeque grill rather than using the oven.
	Drapes, shades, and awnings shield windows from the hot sun, keeping your home cooler.
	Run the dishwasher only when it's completely full.
	Run your clothes washer only when you have a full load of laundry.
	Clean your dryer's lint filter before each load.
	Washing your laundry with cold water whenever possible can save energy and money.
	Overloading the dryer makes it work harder.
	Unplug appliances and home electronics when not in use, including TVs, cable boxes, computers, and monitors. Use power strips so you can easily switch electronics on and off.

Refrigerators

	Open the refrigerator and freezer doors only when necessary.
	Set your refrigerator at 40 degrees and the freezer to zero degrees.
	Vacuum or dust refrigerator coils regularly.
	Make sure the refrigerator and freezer doors shut tightly and have a good seal.
	Retire that second refrigerator — it’s costing you more than $100 a year to run. Or, unplug it when not in use.

Lights

	Use ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). They use less than 25 percent of the electricity standard bulbs use and last 10 times longer.
	Shut off all the lights when you leave a room
	Keep bulbs and fixtures clean.
	Replace ordinary light switches with dimmers or motion sensors. Certain ENERGY STAR- qualified CFLs are made to work on dimmers. Check the CFL packaging to be sure it can work with a dimmer.
	Use timers to turn your lights on and off when you’re away from home.
	When you go away, use timers to turn your lights on and off.
	Compact fluorescent light bulbs save energy and last a long time. When they do burn out, recycle them! To find a location near you, visit earth911.com and enter your zip code. Home Depot stores also accept CFLs for recycling. For store locations, visit www.homedepot.com/ecooptions.
	If you cannot recycle a CFL, then seal the bulb in two plastic bags and put it in the outside trash for the next normal trash collection. Never send a CFL for incineration.

Air Conditioners

	Every year, inspect and clean your air conditioner or cooling system. A well-maintained unit uses less electricity. Clean or replace your air conditioner filter at least once a month during the summer.
	Set your air conditioner to no cooler than 78 degrees. On average, for every degree you set back your thermostat, you can save three percent on your energy bill.
	Don't cool rooms that aren't used.
	Don’t run your air conditioner when the outdoor temperature is below 70 degrees. Instead open the windows and turn on fans.
	Make sure your air conditioner is the proper size for the area you are cooling.
	Turn off your air conditioner when no one is home.
	Set the automatic timer to turn on your air conditioner 30 minutes before you arrive home.
	If you use central air-conditioning, our free programmable thermostat will help you better manage your energy use. To learn more about this offer, click here.
	Alternate the use of air-conditioning and fans. When you’re comfortable, shut off the air conditioner and turn on the fan.
	A two-degree adjustment to your thermostat setting (higher in summer, lower in winter) can lower cooling/heating bills by four percent and prevent 500 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year.