• Put on your favorite sweater and set your thermostat between 65 and 68 degrees during the winter, health permitting. Lower your thermostat at night and add a cozy blanket.
• Install a programmable thermostat and set it to accurately follow your schedule.
• Replace or clean furnace filters monthly during high operating seasons and a minimum of four times a year. Equipment consumes less energy if it “breathes.”
• Keep heating supply and return registers clean and unobstructed by furniture or draperies.
• On sunny days, open draperies and blinds to let the sun’s warmth into your home.
• Use kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans sparingly when heating. In just one hour, these fans can vent away a houseful of heated air.
• Seal leaks around doors, windows, and other openings (such as pipes or ducts) with caulking or weather-stripping. Plug gaps around pipes, fans, and vents that go through exterior walls, ceilings, and floors from heated to unheated spaces.
• If you are planting shade trees, place on the south, east, and/or west sides of your home, so they will provide shade in the summer and lose their leaves in the fall to permit winter sunlight to reach and warm your home.
• One of the most important things you can do is insulate your home. The thickness of insulation and its energy efficiency are rated by number. The higher the number, the more energy efficient it is. Recommended ceiling insulation is R-30, floors are R-19, and R-12 for outside walls. Do It Yourself Home Energy Audit
• Have your furnace serviced annually by a qualified contractor to ensure maximum energy efficiency. See list of licensed contractors or call the Energy Specialists at
  1-800-654-2765.
• When buying a new heating system or appliance, compare Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) and annual operating costs. A slightly higher initial cost for a high-efficiency unit could pay for itself in a very short time through energy savings and lower utility bills. Look for models with the ENERGY STAR® label.

• Set your water heater thermostat at the lowest temperature that provides you with sufficient hot water. For most households, 120°F water is fine (usually about mid-way between “medium” and “low” settings). If you have a dishwasher, check to see if you can use 120°F water. Follow the manufacturer’s directions.
• Install showerheads and faucets with low-flow water restrictors.
• The average household uses 15-25 gallons of hot water for a bath. A 5-minute shower uses 10 gallons or less, but most sources agree that the average American showers from 7.5 to 10.4 minutes. It may be helpful to determine the flow rate of your shower to know whether a bath or a shower is more energy efficient.
• Insulate pipes that run through unheated areas to limit heat loss.
• Use cold or warm wash and the cold rinse option on your washing machine.
• Only operate dishwashers and clothes washers when they are fully loaded.
• Limit use of the “rinse hold” setting on your dishwasher. This feature uses up to seven gallons of hot water for each use.
• If your water heater is over 15 years old it could begin to leak. Consider replacing it with a new gas water heater that has an Energy Factor (EF) rating of .62 or better.
• When replacing your clothes washer, front-loading washers use less water and energy than standard top-loading models. When replacing a natural gas appliance always look for the ENERGY STAR® rated or high efficiency appliances. For a list of appliance and referral dealers or call the Energy Specialists at 1-800-654-2765.
• To compare fuel costs and water heater types.

• Place lids tightly on pans to speed cooking time.
• Use pots and pans that fit the burners. Pans that fit a burner absorb more of the energy, reducing the amount of heat lost.
• Keep oven and burners clean. A clean oven uses energy more efficiently.
• Use glass or ceramic pans in your oven. You can turn down the temperature about 25 degrees and foods will cook just as quickly.
• Keep oven door closed while baking to prevent heat loss. With each opening the oven loses about 20 percent of its heat.
• Preheat your oven only if the recipe calls for it.
• It doesn’t take as much energy to reheat the food as it does to cook it. So cook double portions when using your oven, and refrigerate or freeze half for another meal. This will also save you preparation time!

• Dry full loads, but don’t overload.
• Separate lightweight and heavy clothes for more energy-efficient drying.
• Clean the lint filter before drying each load. Cleaning your lint filter regularly will help your clothes dry faster.
• Dry two or more loads in a row to take advantage of the heat still in the dryer.
• Periodically remove any buildup of lint and dust from the dryer exhaust, the back of the dryer, and behind the lint screen.
• Be sure the dryer’s exhaust duct is connected properly to the outside terminal, using the straightest and shortest duct possible. (Manufacturers recommend using rigid venting material, as plastic vents may collapse and cause blockages.)

• Consider installing high-efficiency natural gas fireplace inserts or freestanding stoves.
• If your fireplace doesn’t have glass doors, consider having a set installed to help keep warm air in the house. NOTE: Glass doors require proper venting.
• Run your natural gas logs only when you’re in the room to enjoy them.
• Close fireplace dampers, if possible, when not in use.

• Natural gas patio heaters utilize radiant heat, warming objects, instead of the surrounding air.
• A patio heater’s efficiency is affected by the wind; consider a sheltered area for installation, accommodating manufacturer’s required clearances. When mounted along a wall or in eaves, directional gas patio heaters are less affected by wind.

• To reduce cooking time, choose foods with comparable cooking times and keep the lid closed as much as possible.
• Grill more than one meal at a time and freeze for future use.
• Use your barbecue or grill in the summer to keep your kitchen cool.

• Keep your spa or pool covered when not in use. Well-fitted pool and spa covers minimize nighttime heat loss as well as prevent chemical loss and water evaporation.
• To help maintain pool heating and equipment efficiency, schedule an annual inspection and deliming of the heat exchanger.
• Check with your pool service technician to determine the minimum number of hours required to run pool filtering and cleaning systems.

• A window’s ability to insulate is given by its U-value. The lower the U-value, the more efficient the window.
• Look for the NFRC (National Fenestration Rating Council) label as your guide to window energy performance.
• Consider Energy Star®-qualified windows, they can help save up to 15% on your cooling costs.
• Look for windows with energy saving features such as: low-e coating, double panes, and vinyl or fiberglass frames.
• To ensure that your new windows perform as well as they should, hire a skilled contractor to install them.

• Activate “sleep” features on computers and office equipment that power down when not in use for a while. Turn off equipment during longer periods of non-use to cut energy costs and improve longevity.
• Replace halogen torchiere lamps with fluorescent ENERGY STAR® torchieres.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing home office equipment, like computers, monitors, printers, scanners, and fax machines. ENERGY STAR® personal computers, monitors, and printers power down during periods of inactivity, reducing energy costs by up to 50%, 90%, and 65% respectively.

You see the term "carbon footprint" everywhere these days. Carbon footprint is the term used for the carbon emissions produced by our everyday activities.

Being aware of some of the things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint helps you save energy and money and helps to protect the environment.

This calculator allows you to compare what your carbon footprint would be using natural gas appliances in your home versus using electric appliances.

This calculator allows you to compare what your carbon footprint would be using natural gas appliances in your home versus using electric appliances.