Saving energy, part 3

• Leaving the refrigerator door open while you make decisions increases the amount of energy your refrigerator uses.  Plan ahead before you open the door.  Replace the rubber gasket around the door if it no longer seals well. 
• Defrost freezers when ice builds up on the coils and walls of the freezer, because the ice reduces the efficiency of the freezer. 
• Per the Natural Resources Defense Council “some 23 percent of the electricity consumed in U.S. homes today vanishes as standby power, constantly feeding our perpetually plugged-in phones (or e-readers or tablets). If you can, charge in the morning when you’re getting ready instead of letting them sit fully juiced and still sucking energy through the dead of night.”
• Lower the water heater temperature.  For most households, a setting of 120 ⁰F is sufficient. 
• Wash clothes in cold water and wait until you have a full load to run the clothes washer. 
• LED lightbulbs cost more to buy, but last many years longer and use significantly less electricity so will quickly pay back the extra upfront cost.  Some governments and utilities have a rebate program to offset part of the cost of buying LED bulbs. 
• When you want to add heat to your house, open curtains or shades on windows when the sun can shine through the window.  Solar gain through a window can be a very effective way to add heat to a room.  Conversely, when you want to keep the heat out, closing the curtains or shades on windows when the sun is shining on the window will reduce the amount of heat entering the room from solar gain.