Action Item It’s on the list!

Completed!

Bathroom Turning off the tap while brushing teeth can save up to 8 gallons of water per dayi, and while shaving can save up to 10 gallons of water per shave.

Take shorter showers; for every minute you shorten your shower, you save up to 550 gallons of water each yearii!

Kitchen It’s on the

list! Completed!

Do not run the dishwasher until it is full. Turn off the "heated dry" option and let dishes air dry by opening the dishwasher door.

Scrape food scraps into the compost or garbage disposal instead of the trash. Avoid pre-washing before you put dishes in the dishwasher.

Turn off the water when handwashing dishes. Use a rinse basin to reuse rinse water for landscaping or plants.

Use the right sized pot on the stove; match the pot to the burner sizeiii. Cover pots and pans when cooking; the food cooks faster and you will use less energyiii.

Set refrigerator temperature between 36 and 38 degrees. Set freezer temperature between 0 and 5 degrees. If your refrigerator is next to the stove or in direct sunlight, move it to a cooler location.

Cut meat or veggies into smaller pieces, or bake cookies/rolls instead of cakes to reduce cooking time (sometimes by half!)

Cool foods down on the counter before putting them in the refrigerator or freezer.

Keep your refrigerator/freezer full to maximize cooling efficiency. Donate or recycle your second refrigerator or freezer. Check refrigerator/freezer door gaskets to ensure a tight seal. Place a piece of paper between the door and the unit: if you can pull the paper loose, you may need to repair the latch or sealiii.

Use small appliances like a toaster oven, pressure cooker, or convection oven to cook small meals or reheat leftovers instead of your oven. They will save energy costs and reduce heat gain in the summeriii.

Defrost your refrigerator/freezer on a regular basis.

Lighting It’s on the list!

Completed!

Turn off lights when not in use.

Living Room/Office It’s on the list!

Completed!

Use power management settings on your printer, copier, scanner, TV, cable box, etc.

Activate power management settings on your computer/monitor (www.energystar.gov, search "power management"), which will send your devices into low power "sleep" mode after periods of inactivity. Avoid using screen savers.

Use task lighting instead of brightly lighting an entire room; focus the light where you need it.

Only plug devices (and chargers) in when they actually need to charge. When streaming video content, use the smallest device that makes sense for the number of people watching. Avoid streaming content on video game consoles, which can use up to 10 times more power than streaming through a tablet or laptopiv.

Activate power management settings on your game consoles and turn off consoles and controllers when not in useiv.

Laundry Roomvii It’s on the

list! Completed!

Adjust the water level on washing machine to size of the load. Washing laundry accounts for 30% of overall water usage in typical homesv.

Wash clothes in cold water; hot water heating accounts for up to 90% of the energy used by your washing machinevi.

Wash full loads. Your washer will use the same amount of energy regardless of load sizevii.

Optimize efficiency: do not overload or underload your washer or dryer. Hang or line dry clothes; hang drying indoors in the winter provides extra humidity.

Dry full loads and reduce drying time for partial loads. Dry the same weight clothes together, i.e. don’t dry lightweight, quick-drying clothes with heavy items like jeans.

Switch loads while the dryer is warm; there is still heat in the dryer for your next load.

Use the cool down cycle if your dryer has one, to use the remaining heat in the dryer.

Use lower heat settings on the dryer. Even if the cycle runs longer, it will use less energy.

Remove clothes from the dryer quickly to reduce the need for ironing. Use the moisture detecting setting on the dryer so you don't over dry clothes.

Clean the lint trap after every load; a clogged lint trap can decrease dryer efficiency and increases the risk of fire.

Use wool or rubber dryer balls to separate your clothes and decrease drying time.

Use the high speed/extended spin cycle on the washer to remove as much moisture from your clothes as possible before drying.

Heating/Cooling It’s on the

list! Completed!

Dress for the season! If you are cold, put on a sweater or blanket. If you are too hot, put on a tank top or get a cold drink.

Avoid using space heaters, unless you are using a UL listed, thermostatically controlled newer model with current safety features. Select a properly sized heater for the spaceviii.

Adjust temperature settings gradually. Turning the thermostat way up or way down will NOT make the house heat or cool faster.

Set your fan to run counter clockwise in summer and clockwise in winter. Turn fan off when room is unoccupied.

Close curtains/window covers in the summer to block out the heat. In winter, leave them open during the day for passive heat gain from the sun and close them at night to block out the winter cold.

Don't heat or cool an empty house. Turning down your thermostat 7-10 degrees for eight hours a day could save up to 10% on heating and cooling billsix.

Make sure heaters/radiators/vents/registers are not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes.

Clean the area around your HVAC system. Airflow problems can reduce efficiency up to 15%vi.

Water Heater It’s on the

list! Completed!

Turn down water heater temperature to 120 degrees to save up to 22% on your water heating costsix.

When on vacation or gone for several days, turn water heater off.

Attic It’s on the list!

Completed!

Make sure that insulation does not block attic soffit or roof gable vents. Make sure that attic access hatch is properly sealed.

Yard/Gardenx It’s on the

list! Completed!

Water your yard/garden early in the morning or late at night to reduce evaporation.

Use low-volume micro-irrigation to minimize evaporation, runoff and overwatering.

Adjust irrigation/sprinkler heads to avoid watering house and sidewalks.

Use the highest setting on the lawnmower: longer grass enables a deeper and more extensive root system.

Adjust irrigation controls/watering schedule to seasonal temperature changes.

Transportation It’s on the

list! Completed!

Keep tires properly inflated to improve gas mileage. Avoid speeding and rapid acceleration to improve gas mileage. Plan ahead and combine trips where possible.

Resources It’s on the

list! Completed!

Visit www.energysaver.gov for how-to guides and videos for DIY projects Visit www.energystar.gov for information on the EPA’s Energy Star certifications

Search for federal, state, local and utility incentives on the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency at www.dsireusa.org.

For more information on EPA’s WaterSense certification, visit https://www.epa.gov/watersense/

Visit the Department of Energy’s Energy Saver Guide: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/10/f37/Energy_Saver_Guide-2017-en.pdf

Visit the City of Bozeman’s Water Conservation website for more information on indoor and outdoor water conservation and cash incentives and rebates: https://www.bozeman.net/government/water-conservation/rebates-incentives

Find out how long it will take for an investment in energy efficiency to pay for itself in energy cost savings with an estimate from the Home Energy Saver tool at www.hes.lbl.gov/consumer. Calculates return on investment, yearly savings, and payback times.

iEnergyStar:https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_save_energy_at_homeiiUSEPA:https://www.epa.gov/watersense/showerheadsiiiUSDOE:https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/cooking-some-energy-saving-tipsivEnergyStar:https://www.energystar.gov/products/configuring_todays_game_consoles_use_less_energy_0vhttps://www.bozeman.net/government/water-conservation/resources/residential/laundry-lessons-water-saving-facts-and-tipsviEnergyStar:https://www.energystar.gov/campaign/waysToSaveviihttps://www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/16-ways-save-money-laundry-roomviiihttps://www.energy.gov/energysaver/home-heating-systems/portable-heatersixUSDOE:https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/articles/how-much-can-you-really-save-energy-efficient-improvementsxhttps://www.bozeman.net/government/water-conservation/rebates-incentives/outdoor/sprinkler-system-and-landscape-resources