Saving on energy doesn’t always mean buying new appliances or installing solar panels. Many homes are leaking money through a handful of default settings that nobody ever adjusted. Most of these changes take less than five minutes, and several cost nothing at all.
1. Turn your water heater down to 120°F
Many water heaters ship set to 140°F. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that a setting of 120°F is adequate for most households, and that lowering the temperature reduces standby heat loss — the energy wasted keeping a full tank hot around the clock — as well as the risk of scalding.
How to do it: on a gas water heater, there’s usually a dial near the bottom. On an electric model, the thermostat is often behind one or two access panels; turn off power at the breaker before removing them and follow your manufacturer’s instructions. If dial markings aren’t labeled in degrees, test the water at the tap furthest from the heater with a kitchen thermometer.
A note on safety: some households, such as those with people who have weakened immune systems, may need a higher setting; check with your water heater’s manufacturer or a professional if that applies to you. If you’re going away for several days, many water heaters have a “vacation” setting.
2. Flip your ceiling fan direction with the seasons
Most ceiling fans have a small switch on the motor housing that reverses the blades. Almost nobody uses it.
- Summer: counterclockwise (looking up at the fan). This pushes air straight down, creating a breeze that makes the room feel cooler.
- Winter: clockwise at low speed. This gently pulls air up and pushes warm air that collects near the ceiling back down along the walls, without creating a chilly breeze.
The DOE says that using a ceiling fan can allow you to raise your thermostat setting by about 4°F in summer without feeling less comfortable. Just remember: fans cool people, not rooms. Turn them off when you leave.
3. Set back your thermostat
According to the DOE, you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling by turning your thermostat back 7 to 10°F for 8 hours a day from its normal setting — for example, while you’re at work or asleep.
A programmable or smart thermostat does this automatically. If you already have one, check that its schedule actually matches your life; many people install one and never set it up beyond the defaults.
And no, it doesn’t take more energy to reheat a home than you saved by setting it back. That’s a common myth; a home loses heat more slowly when it’s cooler inside, so you save energy overall.
4. Wash clothes in cold water
Most of the energy a washing machine uses goes to heating water, not to running the motor. Switching most loads to cold water is one of the easiest energy changes you can make. Modern detergents are formulated to work in cold water, and cold is gentler on colors and reduces shrinking.
Save warm or hot washes for heavily soiled items, towels and bedding when needed, or as your care labels recommend.
5. Check your refrigerator and freezer temperatures
A fridge set colder than it needs to be wastes energy. The FDA recommends keeping your refrigerator at or below 40°F and your freezer at 0°F. Somewhere around 37°F in the fridge is a common target that keeps food safe without running unnecessarily cold.
Use an inexpensive appliance thermometer to check, since dial settings like “1–5” don’t tell you actual temperatures. And clean the condenser coils on the back or bottom of the fridge once or twice a year; dusty coils make the compressor work harder.
6. Kill the phantom loads
Many electronics draw power even when they’re “off” — TVs, game consoles, cable boxes, chargers and appliances with clocks or standby lights. Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have studied this “standby power” for years and found it can add up to a noticeable share of household electricity use.
- Plug entertainment centers into a smart power strip that cuts power to accessories when the main device is off.
- Change game console settings from “instant on” or rest mode to energy-saving mode.
- Unplug devices you rarely use, like the guest-room TV or the second fridge in the garage — or consider whether you need that second fridge at all.
7. Use your dishwasher’s air-dry option
The heated-dry setting on a dishwasher uses extra electricity. Choose air dry, or simply open the door slightly after the cycle finishes and let dishes dry naturally. Using rinse aid helps a lot here, because water sheets off instead of beading on the dishes.
And run the dishwasher only when it’s full. According to Energy Star, a certified dishwasher typically uses less water than washing the same dishes by hand.
8. Switch the last remaining bulbs to LED
If you still have incandescent or halogen bulbs anywhere — the closet, the porch, the chandelier — the DOE says residential LEDs use at least 75% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Start with the fixtures you use most.
9. Change your HVAC filter on schedule
A clogged air filter forces your furnace and air conditioner to work harder to move air. Check the filter monthly during heavy use seasons and replace it when it looks dirty, or at least as often as the filter’s packaging recommends. Write the date on the filter’s edge so you remember.
Bonus: low-cost upgrades with fast payback
- Low-flow showerheads: WaterSense-labeled showerheads use no more than 2.0 gallons per minute, saving both water and the energy used to heat it.
- Faucet aerators: inexpensive and easy to screw on.
- Insulate hot water pipes: foam pipe sleeves on accessible pipes near the water heater reduce heat loss.
- Weatherstripping and door sweeps: sealing drafts around doors and windows reduces heating and cooling loss.
Find out what you’re actually using
Many utilities offer free online dashboards that show your usage by day or even hour, and some offer free or discounted home energy audits. It’s worth logging in once to see when your usage spikes. Your utility may also offer time-of-use plans, where running the dishwasher and laundry in off-peak hours costs less.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to leave the AC on all day?
Generally no. Raising the temperature while you’re away usually saves energy, according to the DOE.
Do space heaters save money?
They can if you heat only the room you’re in and turn down the main thermostat. Running them in addition to central heat usually costs more. Follow safety guidance carefully.
Does closing vents in unused rooms save energy?
It often doesn’t help with central forced-air systems and can create pressure problems. Ask an HVAC professional before closing many vents.
