Energy saving tips of the week

Refrigerator/Freezer

·         Don’t keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit for the fresh food compartment and 0 degrees for the freezer section.

·         Place your refrigerator and freezer away from heat sources.

·         Keep refrigerator motor and coils clean and unobstructed.

·         Defrost freezers when the build up of ice is more than a quarter of an inch.

·         A full freezer will perform better than a nearly empty freezer.

·         Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.

·         Make sure the refrigerator and freezer doors close tightly.

·         Avoid putting hot foods directly into the refrigerator or freezer. Let them cool to room temperature first.

Computer & Other Home Office Equipment

·         In your computer’s Power Options, set up your PC to go into standby mode after 15 minutes of non use and set it to hibernate or sleep after 45 minutes of non use. These energy saving modes cut your PC's electric usage down to just a few watts.

·         Screen savers, while effective in preserving the monitor, use the same amount of energy as when you are using the computer. 

·         Turn off your monitor when it is not in use. The monitor consumes over half of the energy used by a computer.

·         Flat panel monitors use less energy than standard monitors.

·         Printing can be the most energy-intensive step, so print only pages you need. Edit documents on-screen and use print preview to reduce the number of drafts you actually print.

·         Use electronic mail instead of fax machines or copiers whenever possible.

·         Laptops use 10 percent or less of the electricity consumed by typical desktop computers.

·         Copiers use more energy than any other type of office equipment. If you need only a couple of copies, use your printer or fax machine instead.

·         Use double-sided copying whenever possible.

·         Try to avoid using cover sheets when faxing. Stick-on fax labels can be used on the front page with transmission details. Check with your manufacturer to make sure the labels are compatible with your fax machine.

·         It takes approximately seven times more energy to produce a piece of paper than to print on it. You can help reduce the energy consumed in paper manufacturing by using recycled paper, double-sided copying, or reusing paper printed on one side.