Tip #33   

Visit the APS Energy Analyzer.
In just a few minutes, you can find more easy and inexpensive things you can do to use less energy and lower your bills.

The survey is fun and interactive. It guides you through your home, helps you evaluate where you use energy and provides customized suggestions on how you can reduce your energy use. It even compares your energy use with similar homes.

Visit the APS Energy Analyzer today!

Tip #32

Take a day and get out of the house.
Lifestyles change. Whether for you this means different work shifts, a new baby, kids out of school for the summer or retirement. These are a few of the things that can affect lifestyle. They can impact the amount of time spent at home, the number of times the door is opened, the setting on the thermostat, time watching TV, lights used, amount of cooking and the number of showers. It all affects the amount of electricity that is used.

What's a quick way to make a change in that routine? Take a day to get outside the house and enjoy a movie, or the mall, or anything that meets your fancy. Give your home's systems a break.

Tip #31

Don't place lamps or TV sets near your thermostat.
The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

Also, don't set your thermostat for a lower temperature than you really want, thinking that it will cool your home down faster. The AC will still run at the same speed, and the ending result could be excessive cooling resulting in wasted energy and increased cooling cost.

Tip #30

Don't cool down the house by leaving the refrigerator door open.
We know that blast of cold air hitting your face feels good, but leaving the refrigerator door open longer than needed just causes your fridge to work harder to keep food cold, using more energy.

Arrange refrigerator shelves so you don't have to rummage around with the door open. Keep the door closed as much as possible.

Avoid using the oven as much as possible, summer is a time for BBQ.
Consider limiting use of the oven to keep your kitchen cooler. Use the microwave instead whenever possible and try to cook in the cooler parts of the day. When you're using the oven, avoid opening the oven door multiple times, releasing heat and cooling down the oven.

Here's another idea, ditch the oven for a night and cook outside. Outdoor barbeques are one of the best things to do in the summertime!

Give your appliances a summer vacation, too.
When leaving to go on your summer vacations to escape the heat, give some everyday home appliances a vacation too. You'll be surprised of the savings on your next bill.

• Refrigerator and freezer - If you'll be gone for a few days, turn your refrigerator's thermostat to a warmer setting - 42 degrees for your refrigerator, 5 degrees for your freezer. If you'll be away for as long as four weeks or more, you may want to clean it out and turn it off.
• Turn off lights except those needed for security. Use timers to control security lighting.
• Turn your water heater off using the circuit breaker, or set it to the "vacation" setting if the option exists.
• If you prefer to leave your air conditioner on, set it between 85 and 90 degrees. For each degree you raise the temperature, you'll save 2 to 3 percent on the cooling portion of your electric bill.

Go "paperless."
Turn your monthly paper bill off, and instead view and pay your APS bill online.
The program enables customers to:

• Receive e-mail notifications when their bill is ready to be viewed
• Access their statements online and print if needed for record keeping purposes
• Download all account and usage history
• Reduce the possibility of mail fraud and identity theft

APS uses 455,000 pounds of paper in just one year for printing bills for its 1.1 million customers. If all of these customers join the effort, more then 5,000 trees could potentially be saved a year. It would also eliminate 489 pounds of toxic air pollutants, 517,000 pounds of solid waste and 4 million gallons of wastewater annually.

Conserve energy and save money with shade screens and window coverings.
A simple and effective way of keeping the cool in and the hot out is to shade your windows and glass doors from the hot Arizona sun. The benefits of deflecting the sun's heat include:

• Reduced energy consumption.
• Lower energy bills.
• Less fading of your interior furnishings.
• More consistent and comfortable inside temperature.

Tip #22

Tip #21

Use exhaust fans to remove heat and humidity from your home.
When you're in the kitchen cooking, heat and humidity from that special meal you're preparing is heating your house. Make sure to use your stove's exhaust fan, but turn it off when you're finished cooking. Another way to reduce the heat while cooking in the kitchen is to cover your pots and pans on the stove, and try to resist opening the oven door.

The steam that fogged up your mirror in the bathroom isn't helping to keep your house cool either. Make sure to use the exhaust fan in the bathroom as well, or crack a window just a bit to let the humidity out, saving your AC from having to kick on more often.

Tip #20

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Tip #19

Be storm-ready.
The summer heat is here, which means the monsoon storm season can't be too far behind. The best way to stay safe and comfortable during storms and power outages is to plan ahead. Know what to do and have the proper equipment on hand.

It’s never too early to be prepared for the winds, lightning, and rain. Mother Nature operates on her own schedule, and the resulting power outages simply are a fact of life. To help you prepare for a potential power interruption - and to stay safe in the event of one, you should always be prepared.

A flashlight is always a good idea, along with a battery operated radio. Also, make sure to check the fuse box to ensure that an outage really did occur, and your lights aren’t the only ones in the neighborhood that are out. The entire family should know where the flashlights are kept before an outage occurs. Do not use candles as a source of light.

Tip #18

Turn off electronic equipment such as computers when they are not in use.
Computers, printers, fax machines and copiers consume energy even while they are not in use. The following table provides a summary of typical electrical power requirements and annual energy use for common equipment. The table compares the annual energy cost of equipment that is turned off at night and over the weekends and equipment that is left on round the clock.

Up to 5 percent of all the electricity consumed in the home is standby power used to keep electronics running when those TVs, DVRs, computers, monitors and stereos are "off."

*The figures above are based on energy calculations by APS using the APS Standard Plan. Your actual energy costs may vary.

Tip #17

Use cold water to rinse dishes before putting them in the dishwasher and air-dry them in the dishwasher.
The air-dry feature automatically shuts off the heat during the drying cycle, reducing electricity use by up to 20 percent. Always wait to run the dishwasher until you have a full load and advance the dial or turn off after the final rinse. If you rinse dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, only use cold water:

Tip #16

Remember to unplug small appliances when not in use.
Appliances such as coffee makers, alarm clocks and phone chargers are just a few items that consume power even when they are not in use.

Some appliances are like vampires, sucking up energy when they seem harmless. Just make it a common practice, unplug all small appliances when they’re not in use.

Tip #15

Turn off the light when you leave a room. You'd be surprised how much you can save.
To save on energy used to light your home, consider using more efficient lightbulbs and reducing the amount of time the lights are left on.

• Replace traditional bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). CFLs use 75% less energy and last up to 10 time longer than incandescent bulbs.
• Use lower wattage bulbs. Try using a 60-watt bulb where you now use a 100-watt.
• Clean light fixtures to assure light levels are maintained.
• Keep background lighting low and use task lights near workplaces.
• Turn lights off when not needed.

Lighting accounts for up to 7 percent of a home's electric bill each year. If you turn off just a few unneeded bulbs for a few hours each day, the savings add up.

Tip #14

Tip #13

Plant trees/bushes on the west and east sides of your house, to shade your house from the sun.
Planting trees, shrubs, vines, hedges and ground cover can be a cost-effective, eye-pleasing way to lower your energy bills. Well-designed landscaping will also protect your home from the sun's heat, while blocking out noise.

One of the most effective ways to reduce cooling costs is to shade windows from the sun. Shade from trees and landscape plants can help you reduce air conditioning costs and protect your home from harsh weather. Here are a few benefits to consider:

• Shade trees can significantly reduce surrounding air temperatures and the temperature in your attic.
• Trees, shrubs and ground cover can reduce the heat reflected from the ground to your walls and windows.
• Deciduous trees lose their leaves in winter, making them ideal to block the sun in summer while allowing the sun to warm your home in the winter.

Make sure the temperature of your refrigerator and freezer isn't higher than it needs to be, wasting your money.
The temperature of your refrigerator should be between 38 and 42 degrees; the freezer should be between 0 and 5 degrees. Ten degrees colder than necessary can increase energy consumption up to 25 percent.

Wash only full loads of laundry.
If possible, adjust water levels to the type of wash. Try washing on a "delicate" setting instead of "regular." The motor won't have to work as hard, saving energy and money.

Put clothes through an additional washer spin cycle before putting them in the dryer. This will help them dry more quickly.

Do heat producing chores in the cooler parts of the day.
Chores such as laundry, baking or vacuuming produce heat that can make the hot times of the day seem even hotter. Waiting until it cools off outside will keep your home more comfortable and help reduce the running time of your AC.

Also, hold off on doing moisture-producing chores such as cleaning dishes and mopping floors until the cooler parts of the day. Your AC works harder in a humid environment.

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Look for the ENERGY STAR^® label when purchasing products and appliances.
Whether it's a computer, an air conditioner or a new home, look for the Energy Star when shopping and conserve energy, save money and improve the environment.

Energy Star products can save consumers about a third on their energy bill and bring a similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort.

Install weather stripping around windows and doors.
A thorough job of caulking, weather stripping and insulating around doors and windows can significantly reduce your cooling bills and make your home more comfortable.

As much as 50 percent of the heat entering into your home comes in through your windows. Proper caulking and weatherstripping can help reduce the amount of heat entering your home.

If your home has a fireplace, make sure the damper is closed tight, to keep cool air from escaping through your chimney. When switching from evaporative cooling to your AC system, make sure your cooler's baffle plate is completely closed.

Consider replacing your water heater with a solar water heating system.
Up to 15 percent of your energy bill can come from heating water, but the sun can help do it for free. And when you install a solar water heater, you may be eligible for a one-time incentive from APS.

Solar water heaters can be a cost-effective way to generate hot water for your home. They can be used in any climate, and the fuel they use -- sunshine -- is completely free.

Set your thermostat to 79 degrees or higher.
Feel cool and save money by setting your thermostat a few degrees warmer than normal and using fans. The higher you set your thermostat, the less it will cost to cool your home. APS recommends setting your thermostat at 79 degrees when you are home and at 85 degree when you are away. It's as easy as 1-2-3 -- for every one degree you raise your thermostat you will save approximately 2 - 3 percent on the cooling portion of your bill.

If you want the most economical operation, set it on auto. If you want a stable, more even temperature and more comfort, set it on run.

Clean out your lint filter after every dryer load.
Not only does this simple tip improve the air quality around you, but it also improves the performance of your dryer. If you're clothes come out damp after one dryer cycle, the lint filter could be the culprit.

Another energy saving feature is the dryer's cool-down cycle, which tumbles clothes in cooler air during the last five or ten minutes of drying. This feature also reduces wrinkling.

Tip #4

• ENERGY STAR bulbs use 75 percent less energy — saving you money
• Save more than $40 in energy costs over the life of the bulb
• Last up to 10 times longer
• Operate at cooler temps – increasing indoor comfort
• Produce the same attractive light as incandescent bulbs
• Instantly start up and do not flicker or hum
• Available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture

APS has partnered with local retailers to offer discounts on ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent lighting. Find a participating retailer

Tip #3

Set TV timers to avoid energy waste.
It's so common. You lie down at night to watch some television in bed, and fall asleep with the TV on. Avoid wasting energy all through the night by setting your TV's sleep timer.

Ceiling fans will cool you off, but turn them off before leaving the room.
Using fans is a great way to save energy and remain comfortable. Ceiling fans create a "wind chill" effect that can make you feel up to five degrees cooler. Set your AC thermostat temperature 2-3 degrees higher, and use fans in occupied rooms. Turn off fans when you leave the room. Since ceiling fans do not reduce the temperature in the room, there is no benefit to running them in unoccupied rooms.

Tip #1

When using a washing machine, use cold water for wash and rinse cycles.
Up to 90 percent of the energy used for washing clothes goes to heating the water. So it's wise to use warm or cold water to wash and cold to rinse.

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