The Robert F. Manifold Award is the highest honor of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, recognizing a lifetime of public service. It was awarded to Bruce Weston for "Dedication and Meritorious Service to the People of Ohio and to NASUCA."
Americans invest more than 75 percent of their utility dollars on heating, cooling, hot water heating, lighting, and refrigeration in their home.
By making a few simple changes, a typical household can reduce energy use and save on electric, natural gas and water bills.
Walk room by room through your house and use this checklist to see how many changes have already been made and ones where additional changes can be made to save. You can keep and reuse this Home Energy Saver Checklist to track your progress over time.
Home Energy Saver Checklist |
Never/No |
Sometimes/Some |
Always/Yes |
|---|---|---|---|
Kitchen |
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Is the temperature in the refrigerator set between 35-38°? |
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Is the temperature in the freezer set at 0°? |
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Are pots and pans covered when cooking? |
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Do you scrape away food debris rather than rinse it from the dishes? |
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Do you wash full loads in the dishwasher? |
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Is the seal around your refrigerator and freezer door properly sealed? |
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Have you checked the faucet for leaks and reduced its flow rate with an aerator? |
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Do you air dry dishes? |
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Bathroom |
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Do you use energy efficient shower heads? |
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Do you towel dry your hair thoroughly before using an electric hair dryer? |
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Laundry Room |
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When doing laundry, do you wash and dry full loads? |
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Do you wash as many loads as possible with cold or warm water, instead of hot? |
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Do you check the dryer’s lint filter before and after each use and make sure air flows through? |
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Is your washing machine a front loader or high-efficiency top loader? |
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All Rooms |
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Do you shut drapes or blinds to block summer sun or winter chill? |
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Do you turn out the lights when you leave a room? |
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Do you use light-emitting diode (LED) light bulbs ? |
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Have you unblocked heating registers, air supplies, and return vents? |
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Are your light bulbs free of dirt and dust? Dust absorbs light and reduces efficiency. |
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Have you unplugged the standby (vampire) power culprits in your home such as rarely used televisions, DVDs, cell phone chargers, and other electronics? |
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Do you shut down computers if you will not be using them for two hours instead of just logging off? |
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Do you turn your computer monitor and printer off instead of leaving them set in sleep mode? |
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When replacing appliances did you purchase Energy Star? |
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Have you located all air leaks (drafts) and sealed them? |
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Have you checked your insulation for stains? Stains can mean there is an air leak behind the insulation. |
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Total |
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Let’s see how you scored. Give yourself 10 points for every “Always/Yes,” 5 points for every “Sometimes/Some” and 0 points for every “Never/No.”
5-65 A GOOD START, but you can save more…
70-135 CONGRATULATIONS! You are on your way, but you can still save more…
140-205 WELL DONE! You are well on your way, but you can still save a little more…
210-250 EXCELLENT! You are an Energy Saver!
Check out more energy efficiency fact sheets at www.occ.ohio.gov for additional ways to conserve energy and save money!
To download: Click the folder with a down arrow icon. To print: Click the printer icon in the top right of the display.
If you need multiple copies for an organization or group, please contact a member of our outreach team.