Inexpensive Ways to Save Energy in the Cape & Islands

Inexpensive Measures

Install energy-efficient lighting
Weatherize and seal
Buy programmable thermostats
Replace air filters
Look for the EnergyStar label
Purchase low-flow showerheads and faucets
Use mass transit
Reduce, reuse, and recycle

Install energy-efficient lighting. Most light fixtures can be transformed into efficient systems with just a few turns of the wrist:

Buy compact fluorescent bulbs—they may cost more at the store, but they produce long-term energy and money savings.
Purchase EnergyStar light fixtures.

Weatherize and seal. Products for plugging air leaks and reducing heating and cooling losses can be very inexpensive:

Use caulk and weatherstripping to plug air leaks around doors and windows and through electrical outlets.
Insulate exposed hot-water pipes and heating system ductwork in your basement
Cover windows with operable shades or plastic sheeting to reduce heat transfer from inside to outside without eliminating solar heat gain.
Give your water heater an insulating jacket.

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Buy programmable thermostats. Thermostats that automatically adjust room temperatures can stretch energy dollars by ensuring that heating occurs only when needed:

Purchase EnergyStar thermostats
Set home thermostats to warm up the house in the early morning, warm it up again in the evening, and keep it cooler when residents are not home or in bed.
Set business thermostats to begin heating a little before the workday starts and to begin cooling down shortly before the workday ends.

Look for the EnergyStar label. More efficient phones, power adapters, chargers, and other inexpensive electronic devices are now available:

Visit the EnergyStar website to research products before you go shopping.
Compare product labels when you are in the store.

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Replace air filters. Dust and dirt accumulations make it harder to draw air through furnace and air conditioner filters, which reduces the efficiency of these energy-intensive systems:

Inspect and replace as necessary all filters hot-air furnaces and air conditioners have to work harder to draw air through dirty filters.

Purchase low-flow showerheads and faucets. Water conservation saves energy as well:

Install low-flow fixtures to reduce hot water use and associated electricity or fuel consumption.

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Use mass transit. Public transportation keeps vehicles off the road, and it helps increase the overall fuel efficiency of the transportation sector:

Commute to work or schedule a trip to town, the beach, the docks, the sites, the shopping, the airport, and anywhere else; the SmartGuide provides comprehensive information on car-free travel in, to, and from the Cape & Islands region.
Use local airports
Take the airport shuttle to and from Logan Airport in Boston (via Plymouth & Brockton or Peter Pan/Bonanza) and T.F. Green Airport in Providence (via Peter Pan/Bonanza).
Don’t drive all the way into Boston—take the T.

Reduce, reuse, and recycle. Buying less stuff, using resources more efficiently, and helping transform paper, cardboard, glass, plastics, metals, and other materials into new products can reduce the overall amount of energy for which you are accountable:

Buy used goods, products designed to be reused rather than discarded, and products made from recycled materials.
Pay for curbside recycling services.

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