Bedroom

Lamp

• Conserve energy by using a bedside lamp instead of your overhead room light. Save even more by using ENERGY STAR approved lamps and bulbs.

Dimmer switches

• Lighting accounts for 5 to 10 per cent of your home's energy use. Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
• Install dimmer switches on the lights you use often to control exactly how much light (and energy) you use.

Waterbed

• Make a waterbed every morning to help keep the heat inside and save you 30 per cent on operating costs.

Phone/PDA chargers

• Unplug your cell phone and PDA chargers once they've finished charging; chargers continue to draw energy even after the device is fully charged.

Electrical outlets

• Because indoor air can escape through electrical outlets, place insulators behind the cover plates to prevent air loss.

Heating/cooling

• Caulk and seal gaps to prevent air leakage:
  • 30 to 50 per cent of air leakage gets in underneath the baseboards and through the wall outlets.
  • 20 per cent of air leakage gets in through holes where plumbing pipes and telephone wires enter the house and other gaps.
• Turn down the heat in rooms you don't use often.
• If your bedroom windows face north, keep your blinds shut when convenient during the cooler winter months.
• Plant a tree or shrub in front of your window on the sunny side of your home to provide shade in summer and act as a windbreak in chilly months.