The living room is where the family all gather, to spend quality time and engage in social activities. A few simple steps can also transform it into one of the more energy efficient rooms in your house.
Light Switch
- Always turn off the lights when leaving any room (or when it’s not in use).
Outlet
- Unplug any battery chargers or power adapters when not in use.
- Use inexpensive outlet gaskets to seal any holes around outlets.
Windows
- Caulk and weather-strip areas around doors and windows to prevent air leakage.
- Replace window screens with storm windows during winter as an extra barrier against cold air.
- Learn more:
- ENERGY STAR certified windows can save you anywhere from $150-$500 annually in energy costs.
- Cut drafts, increase home comfort and help preserve interior furnishings with properly installed ENERGY STAR certified windows.
Pledge to apply caulk and weather-stripping around windows and doors that leak air.
Table Lamp
- Replace standard light fixtures and bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that provide a high quality light, use less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs.
- Learn more:
- Table and floor lamps are two of the most used light fixtures in a home.
- Conventional torchiere lamp wattage can be among the highest in the home.
- Look for ENERGY STAR certified lighting options in hardware stores, lighting showrooms, retail outlets and online stores.
Pledge to replace your current light fixtures and bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified ones.
Drapes
- WINTER TIP: keep drapes open during daylight to take advantage of the sun’s heat.
- During warm weather, draw the curtains and drapes to keep the room cooler.
Ceiling Fan with Lighting
- Depending upon how they’re used, ceiling fans can help reduce energy costs while providing home comfort.
- Learn more:
- WINTER TIP: most ceiling fans have a switch allowing you to rotate the blades in reverse, creating a gentle updraft forcing warm air near the ceiling down into the living area.
- In the summer, make sure your ceiling fan is blowing air downwards into the living area.
- On hot days, turn up the thermostat by two degrees and use your ceiling fan to lower air conditioning costs by up to 14%.
- Use low wattage compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in the ceiling light fixture for cooler light bulbs and greater energy savings.
- Turn off the ceiling fan when you leave the room; fans only cool people, not rooms.
Pledge to replace your current light fixtures and bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified ones.
TV/DVD
- Invest in electronics that are ENERGY STAR certified.
- ENERGY STAR certified products use less energy without sacrificing quality or performance.
- Learn more:
- Consumer electronics account for 15% of household electricity usage.
- Many electronic products continue to use energy even when switched off.
- ENERGY STAR certified products conserve energy when switched off while still maintaining clock displays, channel settings and remote control functions.