Spring Energy Tips

Air-dry your laundry on sunny days.

Instead of using the dryer on warm days, hang up your clothes and let the sun do the work. The energy you’ll save from not using your dryer will add up and help to lower your electricity bill.

Only using your washer and dryer once a week will also help to reduce your laundry’s electricity costs.

Replace or clean your AC and furnace filters.

Spring cleaning is a great excuse to check those filters that you may not have looked at since last year. Old filters can cause your system to be inefficient and run longer.

Replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can actually reduce an AC's energy consumption by up to 15%.

Seal air leaks in your home.

Even if your system works great, small leaks in your home lead to increased heating and cooling costs. Sealing cracks in door frames, windows, and vents will provide a quick return on investment and is essential to your home's performance.

Use cold water whenever possible.

Did you know that heating up water can account for up to 20% of your electricity bill? To avoid wasting hot water:

• Lower your water heater’s temperature.
• Wash clothes in cold water.
• Take shorter showers.
• Only run full dishwasher loads.
• Fix water leaks.

Change out your lightbulbs.

Light-emitting diode (LED) lights use at least 75% less energy than standard incandescent lightbulbs and last up to 25x longer.

Reduce your lighting costs by switching your incandescent bulbs to LEDs. The upfront investment will pay for itself, and more, in the annual savings you’ll receive.

BONUS: Check out a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) toolkit.

Our DIY Energy and Water Saving Toolkit helps with most of the tips mentioned above! It comes with free LED lightbulbs, weather-stripping, and low-flow showerheads for you to install. Visit any Mendocino or Sonoma County Library* to check one out for three weeks.

*Not available at the Forestville or Occidental branches.