Tips to Shrink Your Property’s Footprint Through Energy Usage

1. Measure Your Energy Output. Schedule your free energy assessment with ComEd. They will change out your current light bulbs to LEDs, insulate your pipes and provide water aerators, among other perks. These small changes will save you money on your monthly bills, plus it’s good for the environment.
2. Identify Loans for Efficiency Upgrades: Check out these loan programs that can help finance home upgrades that can shrink its environmental footprint and save you money.
3. Smart Thermostats: They keep your house comfortable, save you money and they’re great for the environment. Plus, ComEd will often offer rebates when you purchase one!
4. Increase Your Thermostat Temperature During Cooling Season: During the warmer months, try to keep your thermostat at 75 degrees or higher and rely on fans for comfort if need be. Smart and programmable thermostats also help to make sure you’re not cooling an empty house!
5. Keep Your Home Tightly Sealed: Caulking, weather stripping or door guards can all add up to big savings, with rebates often available to help pay for air sealing and adding insulation.
6. Replace Your HVAC & Furnace Filters: Replace your filter at least four times a year and have your HVAC serviced annually. It’ll help the system run more efficiently and extend its life.
7. Turn on Your Ceiling Fans: Ceiling fans can keep you comfortable during moderate heat with just a fraction of energy use. Set them in reverse during the winter months to help push warm air down into the room.
8. Be Mindful of Vents: Make sure your furniture isn’t blocking vents. Also, if you have a room that’s seldom used, close the vents and shut the door to avoid paying to heat or cool an empty room.
9. Use Major Appliances At Night: By shifting use away from peak demand hours, you help keep the dirtiest power plants off the grid. If you sign up for ComEd’s hourly pricing, it’ll help you save money too.
10. Wash Clothes in Cold Water: Hot water tanks are a big energy guzzler in every home.
11. Lower Your Hot Water Temperature: Try lowering your water temperature to 115 degrees and you’ll likely see a drop in monthly bills.
12. Wrap Hot Water Pipes: Often included in ComEd’s energy assessment for free, this will help keep your water warm and use less energy
13. Install a Hot Water Heater Timer: A timer will help save money and ensure you’re not heating water in the middle of the night.
14. Keep Your Dryer’s Exhaust Clean: Cleaning the exhaust will extend the life of your dryer and help use less energy. Use dryer balls to cut down on drying time and eliminate dryer sheets.
15. Clean Refrigerator Coils: Clean the coils underneath your fridge every six months to see a big difference in your energy output.
16. Raise Refrigerator Temperature: You can save a large amount of money by raising your fridge temperature by just a few degrees. Be mindful of safe temperatures for food, but many fridges are set unnecessarily low.
17. Unplug Rarely Used Appliances: Sometimes referred to as “phantom load,” some appliances continue to suck energy even when not in use. Some studies show homes could save between 15 to 20%.
18. Use SmartStrip Power Strips: SmartStrips cut power to devices not in use. Your tvs and computers can still suck up lots of energy if they are plugged in but turned off.
19. Switch to EnergyStar Appliances: These appliances are designed to use less energy and save you money.
20. Install Faucet Aerators & Efficient Shower Heads: Often these come free with ComEd’s home assessment. Water is really energy-intensive to clean and deliver to homes. Finding ways to use less at home is a huge help.
21. Skip Laundry or Running the Dishwasher During Storms: Chicago’s drainage system is old! When it has to handle a storm and household water, it could lead to breaks, flooding and contamination
22. Use Reflective Roofing Materials: Silver coating your roof helps keep the home cooler and extends the life of your roof.
23. Sign Up for ComEd’s Hourly Pricing Program: This allows a homeowner to shift usage from peak demand times and save money. Check it out here.
24. Look into Smart Appliances: ComEd Marketplace has an ever-changing inventory of energy-saving household goods at a discounted rate.
25. Utilize Peak Time Savings: If you want to save a few bucks on your electric bill during the summer, check out ComEd’s peak time savings program. You’ll save money and keep some of the dirtiest energy off the grid.
26. ComEd App: This app allows you to track energy usage on a monthly, daily or hourly basis. See how some of the changes around your house help you use less energy.