• Keep your freezer full for greatest energy efficiency. If the amount of food in your freezer doesn't fill it, freeze plastic containers filled with water to fill the freezer. As you add more food, simply remove the plastic containers.
• Long term storage in a freezer should be set for 0 degrees F.
• To check the freezer temperature, place a thermometer between frozen packages and read it after 24 hours.
• Your freezer will run for shorter periods with clean coils.  Vacuum coils at least once a year.
• Make sure your freezer door seals are airtight. Test them by closing the door over a dollar bill so it is half in and half out of the freezer. If you can pull the bill out easily, the seal should be replaced.
• If your freezer is old, replace it. A model from the 1970s most likely costs you an extra $200 per year in utility bills and a 1980 model may cost you an extra $100 per year more than what a new Energy Star model costs to operate. 

• Prepare small meals with special appliances such as electric skillets, toaster ovens, microwaves and broilers. Normally, they use less energy than a conventional range.
• Match the pan size with the size of the cooking element. A 6" pot on an 8" burner wastes over 40 percent of the burner's heat. The bottom of all pans should be flat for efficient contact with the units.
• Once the food in the pan is simmering, cover it and turn down the heat.
• Tight-fitting lids retain heat and moisture in pots and pans. Try not to lift the lid any more than is necessary.
• Turn off the burner a few minutes before the food is cooked; the burner will stay hot and continue cooking for a time.
• Keep the cooktop shiny clean if you have coils or a metal surface. Blackened, dirty units actually absorb some of the energy, leaving less for actual cooking, while shiny surfaces reflect heat to the cooking food.

• Recommended temperatures are 35 to 40 degrees F for the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator and 0 to 2 degrees F for the freezer section.  Note that it may be impossible to keep the freezer at 0 degrees; if that is the case, plan to use food stored there within a few weeks.
• To check refrigerator temperature, place an appliance thermometer in a glass of water in the center of the refrigerator and read after 24 hours. To check the freezer temperature, place a thermometer between frozen packages. Check the thermometers about once a week to be sure the temperature is holding within a safe range.

• Your first step should be water conservation. According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a typical family of four each showering 5 minutes per day can use about 700 gallons of hot water each week. That’s a 3-year drinking water supply for one person! Installing low-flow showerheads can save 14,000 gallons of hot water per year and also save the energy required to heat it. In addition, keep your faucets in good repair. A leaky faucet can waste 20 gallons of water each day.
• Install a new energy efficient water heater. Experts advise that if your heater is more than 7 years old, it’s time to start shopping for a new one. Many electric cooperatives offer rebates or incentives to reduce the cost of a replacement electric water heater.
• Keep your water heater in good shape. Every three months, drain a quart of water from your water heater to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and decreases the heater’s efficiency. Follow your manufacturer’s instructions.
• Consider installing a drain water waste heat recovery system to capture and reuse some of the heat from hot water going down the drain.
• Turn your hot water heater to “vacation” mode when you leave your home for a few days or longer.
• Insulate your hot water pipes, and if you have an older water heater, you might insulate your water heater, too. ACEEE recommends installing an insulating blanket to your water heater if it’s pre-2004, especially if your water heater is in an unheated space. You may reduce heat loss through the walls of the tank by 25-40% and reduce your water heating bills by 4-9%, all with an upfront cost of about $10. Insulating your hot water pipes will reduce losses as hot water is flowing to your faucets and also reduce standby losses. Insulation keeps the water in your pipes hot longer, a benefit if you need hot water within an hour of your initial use.
  

• Clean or replace air filters every 60 days.
• Keep registers and return vents clear of obstructions.
• Set your thermostat wisely.
• Maintain a steady thermostat setting; it’s the most energy-efficient for geothermal.
  

Energy Star-qualified CFLs use 75% less energy than incandescents and last up to 10 times as long. You will save about $30 over the lifetime of the bulb; CFLs pay for themselves within about 6 months.

LED lighting is the latest energy-saving product. Energy-Star qualified LED lights use 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lights.

Energy Star-qualified light fixtures will also save you energy and money. These fixtures use 1/4 the energy of traditional fixtures; bulbs must last at least 10,000 hours. They also distribute light more evenly than traditional fixtures.

In addition to using energy efficient lighting, you can also use less lighting. Shut off lights when you leave the room. Take advantage of daylight by opening drapes during daylight hours; using light-colored curtains on your windows also allows daylight to penetrate the room.

• Compact fluorescent bulbs are four times more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs and provide the same lighting.
• Turn off the lights in any room you're not using, or consider installing timers, photo cells or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.
• Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it. For example, use fluorescent under-cabinet lighting over kitchen sinks and countertops.
• Consider three-way lamps; they make it easier to keep lighting levels low when brighter light is not necessary.
• Use 4-foot fluorescent fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts for your workroom, garage, and laundry areas.
• Use CFLs in all the portable table and floor lamps in your home. Consider carefully the size and fit of these systems when you select them. Some home fixtures may not accommodate some of the larger CFLs.
• If you have torchiere fixtures with halogen lamps, replace them with compact fluorescent torchieres. Compact fluorescent torchieres use 60% to 80% less energy and can produce more light than the halogen torchieres. The old-style torchieres are also considered to be fire hazards.
  

Because of shading and reduce air temperature as much as 9 degrees F in the area surrounding them and the area directly under a tree can be as much as 36 degrees F cooler than air temperatures above nearby blacktop. One young tree can cut energy costs about 3% within 5 years and nearly 12% within 15 years.

It’s estimated that you can save between $100 and $250 in energy costs by planting as few as three trees.

To find information on planting trees, see the Iowa State University Extension publication “Landscaping for Energy Conservation.”

• If your dishwasher has a booster heater, you can keep your home's hot water temperature at a low setting of 120 degrees.
• Scrape, don't rinse, off large food pieces and bones.  Soaking or prewashing is generally only recommended in cases of burned-on or dried-on food.
• Be sure your dishwasher is full and properly loaded, but not overloaded.
• Don't use the "rinse hold" on your machine for just a few soiled dishes.  It uses 3-7 gallons of hot water each time you use it.
• Using your dishwasher once a day will use less energy and water than washing dishes by hand throughout the day.
• Let your dishes air dry; if you don't have an automatic air-dry switch, turn off the control knob after the final rinse and prop the door open a little so the dishes will dry fast.

• Don't add wet items to a load that is already partially dry.
• Dry two or more loads in a row to take advantage of leftover heat.
• Clean the dryer vent after each use to mantain efficiency.
• Check the outside vent, make sure it is clean and the flapper hood opens easily.
• Small loads waste energy, but loads that are too large cause uneven drying.
• Hang your clothes outside if weather permits.  Solar energy is free.

• Replacing an old clothes washer with a new Energy Star front loading model will greatly reduce the need for hot water and reduce your washing costs by 50%.  Tests show they have better soil removal, and higher spin rates reduce the drying time.
• Ninety percent of the energy for laundry goes to heating the water, so use an appropriate wash temperature and a cold rinse.  When possible, use cold or warm instead of hot water.
• Remember to adjust the water level for your size load.
• Most people under-load their washers.  Remember, washing one large load will take less energy than washing two small loads.

In the meantime, use less hot water by installing low-flow faucets and showerheads.

Planning to be gone for several days...then turn off your water heater and save energy.  Unlike a gas water heater that requires you to get down on you hands and knees with matches to light it, electric water heaters can be turned off and on with a flick of the switch in your electric panel.  Electric water heaters are safer, cost less to buy, install and maintain and don't require an electric fan that new gas water heaters need to exhaust dangerous fumes.  Fans on gas water heaters require additional energy to operate.

• Microwave ovens cook food faster and use far less energy than conventional ovens. 
• Unlike conventional ovens, they stop using energy when the door is opened. 
• Microwave ovens won't heat up your kitchen and will reduce your home’s summer cooling needs.

Most submersible pumps have similar efficiencies, so make sure your well pump is properly sized. People often have a 3/4 HP (running 30 minutes a day) that uses 30 kWh/month. Often, a service inspection will find that you'll only need a 1/2 HP that uses 20 kWh/month.

Make sure you don't have water leaks (such as faucets or toilets). Households can drip 2-3 gallon/minute, causing the pump to run and waste energy.