Colors

Use light colors.
	More heat is transferred into homes from outside walls painted with dark colors-than those painted with light colors.
	Dark, outside colors absorb 70% to 90% of the radiant heat that strikes the home's surface.
	Ceilings painted with light colors reflect light downward, which will make room lighting more efficient.

Fans

Point fans in your direction.
	Fans blowing directly on you can make temperatures around you feel up to 4 degrees cooler.
	Fans blowing, but not directly on you will not produce the same effect.

Cooking

Keep the oven door closed.
	Oven temperature drops by 25 to 30 degrees every time you open the oven door.
Never place aluminum foil on an oven bottom (for instance, to catch drippings).
	The foil may block heat or air circulation reducing oven temperature as much as 50 degrees. It may also interfere with even browning.
Use the microwave.
	Microwave ovens use up to 70% less energy, cook food up to 75% faster and produce much less heat than an electric or gas oven.

Cook with lids on pots.
	Cooking with tops on pots will bring liquids to a boil more quickly and will allow continued cooking at lower temperature settings.
	Trapped steam in the pot will cook food faster. This reduces energy use and heat in the kitchen.
Use glass and ceramic pans.
	They retain heat better than metal pans and can allow you to lower the baking temperature by 25 degrees.
Cook in the morning.
	Try to schedule cooking in the morning so that kitchen heat does not contribute to air conditioning use during the hotter parts of the day.

Monitor oven use.
	If using your oven for an hour or more, shut the kitchen off from the rest of your home and turn on the stove exhaust to help take heat out of the kitchen.
Cover exhaust fans.
	When not in use, a kitchen exhaust fan allows hot/cold outside air to come into your home or apartment.
	Low-cost covers are available to cover exhaust fan openings.

Fireplace

Keep flue dampers closed when fireplace is not use.
	Air conditioning and heating continuously escape through open flues.

Cash Rebates and Low-Interest Loans Available
Austin Energy offers one of the most comprehensive residential energy efficiency programs in the nation. Each year over 6,000 Austin Energy customers use our rebates or low-interest loans to improve the energy efficiency of their homes or multi-family complexes.

Our energy efficiency programs operate in partnership with a large selection of local businesses that provide free energy audits and install the energy efficiency improvements needed. All work performed is inspected by our energy efficiency technical staff.

We have a variety of programs to meet every need. Take advantage of the best residential energy efficiency program in America. You will save money and improve your comfort.