Add aerators Most kitchen and bath faucets can be fitted with an aerator ($5 to $10 at hardware stores), which screws into the faucet opening and mixes air into the water stream for less water output while still maintaining adequate and steady pressure.
Apply both interior and exterior caulking to fill gaps around window frames. If cold air is coming in around the sashes, impacting your heating, install appropriate weather stripping.
DIY energy audit Preventing drafts around windows, doors, and other openings in your home (fireplaces, attic hatches, even electrical outlets) can decrease a heating bill by 5 to 30 percent. Pinpoint the problem yourself (and skip hiring a costly professional energy auditor) with a thermal leak detector. This special thermometer takes infrared temperature readings: Aim it at a reference point (like the wall), pull the trigger to take a reading, then do the same along the window frame or another opening. Find a big temp dip, and thats where to focus patching and insulation efforts.
Don't tap out Teach children to turn off the water while brushing their teeth. Leaving the tap running during the recommended two minutes of brushing can waste up to five gallons of water a day.
True or false: Using a coffeemaker daily can cost you $35 a year. True. Leaving the warmer on for an hour a day adds up. GHRI Kitchen Appliances Director Sharon Franke turns hers off to prevent a burned taste and microwaves coffee to reheat it saving energy to boot.
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