Do-it-Yourself Energy Saving Tips.

Did you know as an Avista customer you may be eligible for a rebate when you install energy efficient equipment in your home? You'll find more information about energy efficiency incentives here.

Below are easy, do-it-yourself ideas that cost very little and can be completed as a weekend project.

Check Your Equipment

• Clean or replace your furnace filters monthly throughout the heating season and every three months the rest of the year.
• Install a programmable thermostat to adjust temperature settings according to a preset schedule. This way you can warm up your rooms just before you wake up or get home.
• Fix any leaky faucets. A small drip can be the equivalent of wasting a bath tub full of hot water each month.

Prevent Cold Drafts

• Find and plug those leaks. Just wet your fingertips and run them around the door or window frame to feel a draft, or hold up a tissue and see if it waves. Seal leaks next to moving parts (between a door and its frame) with weather stripping. Fill leaks between non-moving parts (a window frame and wall) with caulking.
• Seal light switches and electrical sockets. Low-cost, high-density foam gaskets is a good way to do it.
• Make sure your fireplace is properly vented. If you do not have a proper amount of outside air for combustion, your fireplace will draw heated air from inside your house.
• Remove, clean and store window air conditioning units when possible; otherwise they will be conduits for cold air.

• Insulate water pipes. It's easy and will prevent heated water in the pipes from cooling down too quickly.
• Install low-flow showerheads.
• Adjust the temperature on your water heater. By reducing it only a few degrees, you will lower your utility costs while still enjoying the hot water you want.

• Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents (CFLs). Even though they cost more than incandescent bulbs, CFLs pay for themselves with the energy savings. Plus they can last six to 10 times longer.
• Install lighting controls like dimmers, timers or motion sensors.
• Put in a ceiling fan with an option to reverse the air flow. Most models will allow you to set the direction the motor turns so you can blow the warm air back down into the living space.

For more, go to no-cost energy saving tips or contractor-assisted energy saving tips.