Here are tips for conserving energy, which helps reduce air pollution.

Turn out lights you are not using (inside and outside).

It sounds so simple. Just turn out the lights. But how often do you forget? How often do you go from room to room turning out the lights before you leave the house or go to bed? How often does your porch light, or that light over the garage door, stay on all night? Leaving them on creates air pollution (because of the electricity generated to power them)—and that electricity costs money.

Turn off the TV, radio, computer, stereo, or other appliance or equipment when you are not using it.

This is another simple thing we forget to do. When turned off, these devices use no electricity, and no air pollution is being created or money spent to power them. Even better, unplug those items you don’t use very often. Many of them draw electricity, even when they are turned off, to power an “instant on” feature. Instead of paying for instant startup, just let them warm up.

Maintain your house, its heating and cooling systems, and your appliances.

Anything that keeps an appliance from working harder than necessary saves electricity and reduces air pollution. Anything that makes your house more efficient to heat and cool helps save electricity and reduces air pollution.

• Insulate the attic.
• Use fluorescent light bulbs instead of regular ones.
• Clean the coils of your refrigerator and freezer.
• Make sure the doors on refrigerators and freezers seal properly.
• Defrost your freezer whenever the frost is ¼-inch thick or more.
• Change your air conditioner’s filter regularly.
• Clean the coils in your air conditioner’s compressor regularly.
• Have an annual maintenance check of your air conditioner.
• Do all the maintenance recommended in your appliances’ manuals.

Learn about making your house energy efficient.