San Antonio Homeowner's Guide -
The Interior (part 1)
The Interior
When auditing the interior consider the following: appliances, lighting,
the heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system and energy consumption
patterns. List all the appliances, noting whether they are fairly new
or rather old. Older appliances will tend to be less energy-efficient.
If you can, replace older appliances with energy-efficient models (or
at least consider the energy efficiency level when it's time to replace
them).
Regardless of the age of an appliance, there are ways of optimizing
its energy efficiency. For example, by keeping the condenser coils of
your refrigerator clean and by turning the thermostat setting from 37°F
to 40°F, you will save energy. Also, cooling hot foods before you
refrigerate them saves energy. Don't preheat the oven too early and
resist the temptation to peek while food is baking - each peek drops
the temperature by 25°F to 50°F. Only run the dishwasher with
full loads and (of course) use energy saving features if available.
Heating water consumes the second largest amount of energy in most houses.
Reduce the hot-water tank's thermostat to about 120°F - this is
plenty warm enough for most household uses. Keeping waterbeds covered
retains heat and saves energy.