Back-to-School Energy-saving Tips

Back to school signals a return to more familiar routines with summer adventures winding down. Idaho Power has a few tips to incorporate energy savings into those routines (and have some fun family time, too).

Save energy and reduce stress with easy meals on busy school nights.

  • Use a pressure cooker to get dinner on the table quickly. By cooking food at a higher temperature and pressure, you can reduce cooking time by up to 70% and energy use by at least half.
  • Fire up that barbecue while the weather is still nice!
  • Use a grill or a Dutch oven to help keep heat out of the kitchen.

Connect with the family while disconnecting devices.

  • Establish a “no electronics night.”
  • Enable power-save settings on computers, TVs and game systems.
  • Use fewer gadgets — you could even plan a trip to one of Idaho Power’s campgrounds to really get away! And remember to raise the temperature on your thermostat if you do leave the house for a few days — no need to cool an empty house.

Make energy efficiency a priority when it comes to cleaning.

  • Change the filter in your air handler. Dirty filters reduce a system’s efficiency.
  • Avoid adding heat to your home in the warmest part of the day. Do laundry and run the dishwasher in the early morning and late evening hours when you’re able to cool your home naturally with outside air.

For more energy-saving tips, visit idahopower.com/save.

Erica Shiflet
Communications Leader
eshiflet@idahopower.com
208-388-2913