12 Things You Can do to Save Energy From Southern California Edison

As we transition from Garden Month to Green Month, we thought we'd highlight the tips that Edison has listed to help us all to save energy and cut down on insane energy bills:

• Remember to turn off your central air when you're away (or at least move it up to 80-85)
• While at home keep the thermostat at 77. We shut the vents in rooms that don't need to be cool and their doors so that the air only cools the rooms we're in.
• Make sure all your air filters are clear so that they function optimally
• Use task lighting whenever possible instead of lighting up a whole room just to read a book.
• Try using LED nightlights in bathrooms and hallways instead of regular incandescent lights.
• Doublecheck that any outdoor lighting is on a timer to only be on when you need it to be.
• Use hot water in the washing machine only when necessary, otherwise use cold to save heating costs.
• Clean the lint out of the dryer after every load to cut down on the threat of a fire and to use less energy.
• Use an automatic clothes drying cycle instead of a timed dry.
• Use the microwave instead of the oven wherever possible.
• Leave the space between the fridge and the wall open so that air can circulate around the coils.
• Set your water heater to 120 degrees.

Edison also has some rebate incentives that could help save money in the long term.

Comments (6)

Or, for real savings, find a way to air-dry your clothes.

do they mean the space between the coils and wall, or should i leave the space on the sides clear as well?

I tried going dryer-free...for a year. It was fine in fall and spring, but in winter, I ended up drying stuff all over the house, and in summer, the humidity meant everything stayed wet, wet, wet. But, the year spent dryer-free taught me to be more judicious about what really needed to be put in a dryer and what is just fine air dried.

My apartment is @ 1000 sq feet and I still only have a $14 gas bill and a $25-35 PG&E bill. Though that's easy to do when you're not in your home from 6am to 6pm and then also do these suggestions.

Why not air-dry clothes?

@egged: They mean the Space between coils and wall. The sides should not be clear - might improve fridges insulation by some degree. And fridge should not stand close to an oven.

You could really save energy by eating out everyday, not using any lights EVER! by making larger windows and going to bed at 8pm in summer and 5pm in winter, using more deodorant so you only have to shower once a month and buying biodegradable one time use whole-body recycled paper suits!!!!

Bull.