The Robert F. Manifold Award is the highest honor of the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates, recognizing a lifetime of public service. It was awarded to Bruce Weston for "Dedication and Meritorious Service to the People of Ohio and to NASUCA."
According to the 2017 data from the Energy Information Administration, the average annual utility bill in Ohio was $1,276. Americans invest more than 75 percent of their utility dollars on heating, cooling, lighting, cooking, and running other appliances in their homes.
By incorporating a few simple changes, a typical household can reduce its energy usage and save on natural gas and electric bills.
Walk room by room through your house and review this checklist to see how many changes have already been made and ones where additional changes can be made to save energy. The Smart Energy Home Audit can be repeated to track your progress over time.
Home Energy Audit Questions |
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Kitchen |
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Is the temperature in the refrigerator set between 37-40°? |
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Is the temperature in the freezer set between 0-5°? |
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Are pots and pans covered when cooking? |
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To clean off dishes, do you scrape away food debris rather than rinse it from the dishes? |
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Do you wash full loads in the dishwasher? |
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Is the seal around your refrigerator and freezer door properly sealed? |
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Is your Tap Flow Rate between 9 and 15 liters per minute? |
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Do you air dry dishes? |
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Bathroom |
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Do you use energy efficient shower heads in your home? |
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Do you use water-saving toilets in your home? |
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Laundry Room |
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Do you wash and dry full loads in washer and dryer? |
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Do you wash as many loads as possible with cold or warm water, instead of hot? |
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Do you check the lint filter on your clothes dryer before and after each use? |
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Is your washing machine a front loader or AAA+ rated top loader? |
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All Rooms |
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Do you shut drapes or blinds to block summer sun or winter chill? |
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Do you turn out the lights when you leave a room? |
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Do you use compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) or Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) in your home? |
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Have you unblocked heating registers, air supplies, and return vents? |
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Are your light bulbs free of dirt and dust? Dust absorbs light and reduces efficiency. |
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Have you unplugged the standby (vampire) power culprits in your home such as rarely used televisions, DVDs, cell phone chargers, and other electronics? |
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Do you shut down computers if you will not be using them for two hours instead of just logging off? |
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Do you turn your computer monitor off instead of letting it set in sleep mode? |
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When replacing appliances did you purchase Energy Star? |
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Have you located all air leaks (drafts) and sealed them? |
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Have you checked your insulation for stains? These often indicate air leaks from a hole behind the insulation. |
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Total |
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Let’s see how you did. Score 10 points for every “always,” 5 points for every “sometimes” and 0 points for every “Never.”
0-50 A GOOD START, but you can save more…
55-105 CONGRATULATIONS! You are on your way, but you can still save more…
110-160 WELL DONE! You are well on your way, but you can still save a little more…
165-200 EXCELLENT! You are an Energy Saver!
Check out the OCC’s Smart Energy Tips, Learn about Vampire Power, Improving Home Energy Efficiency, Beat the Heat Summer Cooling Tips, and An OCC Guide to Water Conservation fact sheets for additional ways to save at www.occ.ohio.gov.
To download: Click the folder with a down arrow icon. To print: Click the printer icon in the top right of the display.
If you need multiple copies for an organization or group, please contact a member of our outreach team.